Zero Over Zero
by Verrill Valierre
Summary: It was another impossibility made real, another day for the Demon. Lelouch vi Britannia finds himself in a new world and Louise de la Vallière finds herself with a new ally. Both are Zero for different reasons, yet both began with nothing. Both are Zero in the end. Here they will rise above all else as they divide one another, the result undefinable by all means.
1. Stage One: The Day a New Zero was Born

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage One

The Day a New Zero was Reborn

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _Greatness is a neutral thing, despite what some may say. It refers not only to the goodness of heroes, nor strictly to the cruelty of villains. Not to success or to failure. Only one thing stands true for greatness: the ability to influence in spite of what stands in the way…"_

" _Lelouch vi Britannia was one such person of greatness. Of this, there was no denying. He shook the world with his presence, finding way after way to surpass the odds pressed against him. His influence had been felt everywhere and, even after death, his name held power. Many had wondered how he came to be so. The feats he produced only further twisted the idea of who he was, the closer facts of his life carried only by his confidants and the deceased."_

 _-Price, Thomas J. "The Royals we Knew Not." Figures of History. Hi-TV. New York, New York, 11 Mar. a.t.b. 2098. Television. Transcript._

" _Some had said he was a man of luck, others insist he wasn't, rather a demon amongst men. Though there were as many accounts as there were rumors, there was one truth they did not know."_

" _Their demon was not yet dead."_

 _-C.C._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

A voice rung out from nothing, speaking casually, though laced with an absolute certainty. Lelouch heard it with clarity but knew not where it came from, echoing within his mind. Awoken, but confused and immobile, he immediately recognized the familiar voice.

" _It looks like you get to live."_

" _What? C.C.?"_

" _It's because they gave you a second chance of sorts. Appreciate it."_

" _Who has? What's the meaning of this?"_

" _You'll find out soon enough. I'll give you more details at another time. For now, though, there's someone who needs your help."_

" _Later? Answer me now, witch! What are you planning?"_

" _Hmm, always demanding, even now. I planned nothing. And by the way, you ought to take care of that attitude of yours. She'll hit you."_

Given little chance to respond, Lelouch fell through a directionless world towards a destination unknown, to another Zero.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Was this the afterlife? It couldn't be, but the young man couldn't help but wonder. It felt like an eternity since the day of his death. He remembered most everything, though it was blurry and faint, like a distant memory from long ago. Perhaps it had been. There was no keeping time for the dead. He had his answer in short order, though.

It was far too comfortable, he observed, too tranquil for someone reviled as he was. It was lively with young and careless laughter filling the air, reminding him of his own peers back at the academy. The air was fresh too, not at all like the stench of the ghettos in the settlements, reminding him more of the villa he once called home. His body felt heavy as well. It was as if he had awoken from a long, deep sleep. Considering what he had deserved, the weight should have only grown heavier, but as time passed he could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. The longer he lied there, the more of the world he could drink in. He was alive, somehow.

At first a foot, and then his hand. Soon he stirred the rest of his body to action. He felt some grass, stiff but comforting, another sign that he was to live. His senses began to return to him whole, and the commotion he had made out before was now in full volume to his ears. The speech resembled some strange dialect of French, though he could be wrong at the fault of his own muddy hearing.

"What a failure!"

It was lively, to say the least.

Jeers and jests found their way to his ears, though it seemed that they weren't meant for him. The laughter, it wasn't quite of joy or hatred. It was arrogant, mocking, and too well recognized by his ears. Memories of a young boy, alone in a den full of wolves, returned to him and pressed him to move.

Lelouch stood up when he could, in search of more information. It appeared that he had caught the attention of the crowd surrounding him, each one dressed in white shirts and dark capes with what looked like an odd pentagram clasp. The boys wore dress pants and the girls wore pleated skirts, altogether making up a sort of uniform. Their shouts had lessened to low whispers at the sight of his movement and their eyes focused on him as if he were some curious object.

"Mr. Colbert, please let me perform the summoning again!"

One voice raised itself above the near hush of the crowd and caught everyone's attention. Eyes moved to the source and came to rest upon a young, petite girl with eyes the red of rubies and a lighter hue for her hair.

Pink.

The tall man gave the girl a concerned look. He wore long, black robes and round glasses and held a smooth staff longer than he was tall. Middle-aged and balding, he was apparently the only adult supervising the other youths. Shaking his head, he responded with a stern voice. "This is a sacred ritual that influences a mage's entire life. It would blasphemous of the ritual and our traditions to do so. Whether you like it or not, this boy is to be your familiar."

"But I can't have a commoner for a familiar! It's unheard of! Unbelievable!"

"There can be no exceptions, Miss Vallière. Now, continue with the ceremony. You will face expulsion otherwise."

"Excuse me?" With a few simple words, Lelouch had grabbed Mr. Colbert's attention, and subsequently became the focus of everyone's view once more.

Lelouch had heard enough to gather what was happening. This was a class of some sort, and he was involved in the proceedings as much as they were. Their clothing made sense. School uniforms, and a teacher. What was most revealing was the fact that, however unlikely it was before, there was magic here.

Certainly, Lelouch was no complete stranger to headache-inducing phenomena that defied all logic, but just as he had taken in the existence of Geass, so too would he take in this information. If anything, it was only proven further by taking a simple glance around. They appeared to stand within a wide courtyard with impossibly massive walls and imposing towers crafted of stone surrounding them. In front of the central tower fantastic creatures of every kind — a flame tailed reptile, some giant mole, and even a sizable dragon — simply lazed about, acting more like domesticated pets than predator and prey. Seeing them had startled him, and he was loathe to admit to anyone that he was so much as surprised at first, but there were more important things to settle. All of this would imply that he was one of them too.

He was a familiar, as they had said, and his apparent master was the little girl in front of him. A child of some noble — no doubt if her haughty posture and proud speech were of any indication — as much as the rest of the students here were. He had a purpose here, and it was to serve the girl. That much was apparent, as much as he wished otherwise. It was simply another thing he'd have to accept, no thanks to whoever roped him into this. No, the only thing that truly nagged at him was her hair. He couldn't shake the thought that it was more than just coincidence that made it so.

Pink. It was a color that represented a tragedy that marked his history with innocent blood. It only reminded him of another person long gone. Someone he wished he could have saved somehow, but fell by his own hands instead. There were few times that he had torn himself over the lives he took, and she was one insurmountable, even now. _She's likely the one C.C. was talking about. For now though..._

"Can you please explain to me what's happening here?"

Mr. Colbert, ever so willing to move thing along, piped up. "Ah! Yes, of course. I'd be glad to. Though this is quite novel, seeing how I've never heard of a human summon before!"

"Yes, but the question?"

"Hm? Why you are to be Miss Vallière's familiar. Of course, you must complete the ritual first. It would no doubt help move things along if you cooperate." At this, Mr. Colbert gestured towards Louise. She turned and stepped up to him with a small frown on her face, looking no less displeased than she was before. To him, it appeared that she was trying to be intimidating somehow, but came off more as a pouty child.

"Kneel," and thus he did so. Even on one knee, he could still see Louise comparably eye to eye. This allowed Lelouch to get a better view of his "master". The more he looked, the more he thought of another young girl, the gentle lavender eyes and flowing brown hair replaced by a sharp determination and a different but somewhat similar set of tresses.

"So, what is my new master's name?" Lelouch spoke with as much grace as he could, pressing any amount of sarcasm away if only to start on good terms.

Louise was not as kind in return, but prompt. "My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière." She spoke with a firm confidence, her voice level and tinged with bits of her noble heritage.

"Ah, I see. Lelouch Lamperouge, at your service. And what is it that I may do for you?" A long pause followed and Louise seemed to falter. It was as if she had trouble getting the words out. "Is something wrong?"

There was a shout that sounded like a dare, words of false encouragement tinged with the sound of mockery. Quickly her other peers caught on and joined in on the fun, not leaving the opportunity to waste.

Shooting a glare somewhere into the crowd did little to quell the jeering. In the face of such opposition, her expression seemed to falter for a brief moment, her mouth curving down and her eyebrows shifting closer before disappearing into another steely expression without a trace.

 _So she wears a mask as well. She's not as strong as she makes herself to be._

Faltering at their words, she finally spoke. "All of this is so very wrong. You're lucky to have this. A commoner would never have this from a noble." With this she began chanting, leaning in after pointing her wand at his face.

"And that is…?!" Once again the prince's thoughts were interrupted by the will of a girl, kissing him on the lips for the briefest of moments. Lelouch was wide-eyed, caught off guard by the sudden action. When she pulled away, he sought to regain his composure, quickly forcing his features into a neutral expression.

She, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, as if her complaints from before had not existed at all. "With that, it is done."

"Well, that wasn't horrible." Soon after though, Lelouch came to regret those words as a blinding pain seared itself across his left hand, his other clenching it at the wrist lest it would be burned as well. Breaking out in a cold sweat, his mind reeled at the pain, cursing the ritual and its absurd methods. He let out a shrill, pained shout and endured the trial as best as he could.

 _I take that back. A contract of Geass isn't nearly as straightforward. Or painful._

Though the moment was brief, Lelouch felt weak and shaken, no doubt from the ritual. He made an effort to look upon his hand half expecting to see burns or blood but only saw strange lines etched into his skin, like some cursed brand or seal.

"Hmm, interesting," Mr. Colbert had come up to him without his notice, as he was too distracted by the sudden turn of events. It hadn't seemed that he was bothered by Lelouch's sudden display of pain as if it never occurred. "I've never seen this set of runes before. If you don't mind, I'll be recording them for later."

Lelouch allowed him, too exhausted to pay attention, much less protest. Perhaps the other creatures had experienced the same? His question went unanswered and, once the man was finished up, the students were sent away, as it was apparent that the girl was the last to drag a creature into this strange world. As he was though, he had some trouble making sense of the layout of the area, or much anything at all. He felt sleepy again, and the world grew rather dark once more.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Today was another disappointment.

It didn't come as much of a surprise, at least not in the way that she thought it would be, but it was still infuriating. Louise, as far as she could remember, was always the subject of misfortune. For the life of her, she couldn't fathom why. Her familial problems got her sent to the Academy, full of students where her embarrassment found more exposure than it had at home. There the servants would stay quiet at the least. Then after bearing it all, she finally succeeds at something, a crucial thing at that. But what luck, she summons a commoner! Nothing divine or magnificent like a dragon or a griffin, but a plain-as-day commoner.

Thus she found herself where she was now, in her room with the dog she had dragged upstairs. She was a little worried after he fainted when the contract was formed, but that soon gave way to a mild irritation once she knew he would be just fine. Who was he to have nobles help him up and not the other way around? If only he were actually a dog; she'd have something cuddly to comfort her like the animals her elder sister watches over back at the estate. If only she were home. Hopefully, he was well behaved too, but such hopes dimmed slightly with each passing minute.

He had seemed to be competent enough to not be an idiot, judging by what she had seen earlier. Seeing him wake with a jolt, she began, "I see you're finally awake. I've thought about this situation for a while and I've decided to make you my familiar despite how much I'd rather not."

"Very well then." He didn't react much to her words, glancing around the room in what looked like rapid thought. Of what he could be thinking she couldn't fathom. Summarily ignoring that, she began to go about her business.

Undressing seemed to have caught his attention, causing him to make a somewhat sour look. It went as soon as it came, quickly replaced by another neutral expression. This only served to make her a tad more frustrated as he dared to feel offended instead of actually serving her properly like he should. It didn't matter enough what he thought for now though, so as long as he listened well in the future. "Wash these."

He seemed to understand quickly anyway. For a moment she was worried that he came from some barbarian place that didn't hold simple concepts such as master and servant. He was to be like a servant, yes, much like those at home, so such a display didn't count. Not one bit at all.

"If I may ask, where am I?" He'd turned his head towards her for what seemed like the first time since they had met. His voice was plain as if he were asking for the time of day.

Was he going to be someone clueless? It irked her a little that he would have such an obvious question too. Perhaps her guesses were more on the spot than she thought. Although it was some progress at the least, that still didn't help her hide a little of her irritation. "Where? This is the Tristain Academy of Magic, of course."

"And Tristain is...?" He hung on to the words, seemingly unsure of himself and the question he had.

"You don't even know that?" She snapped at him for his ignorance. "It is the Kingdom of Tristain on the continent of Halkeginia. Just where did you come from that you don't know of this?"

"Somewhere far away, apparently."

 _Founder, why is he being so cryptic all of a sudden?_ Certainly, a servant should be distant to some degree, but this was beyond that. She felt tired all of a sudden, but whether it was from the time or the disappointment, she couldn't tell. In either case, she had enough for the day.

"Just go do the laundry. Once you're done, you'll be sleeping there." Making orders and pointing seemed to get her point across, although she caught another trace of displeasure on his face when she pointed out that last bit before he left. The dog. _Oh well, I'll press it out of him later. For now, to bed._

Shuffling into her sheets, her mind played over the events of the day, mostly unhappy, but now at least with a glimmer of hope for her future, no matter how dim it felt. With that last thought in mind, she slept with a small smile on her face, her worries briefly forgotten for the night.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Carrying a basket of delicate laundry, Lelouch wondered if this society of mages condoned slavery based on how he'd been treated so far. He would have to check later just to be sure. The bedding provided for him especially pissed him off, not necessarily because of what it was — she was probably expecting an animal like the rest of her classmates in the first place, so it was appropriate enough for that — but rather because she didn't seem to care at all that it was a person she summoned and would leave that bedding as a patch of hay on the floor like it was none of her concern.

 _Damn nobility. I guess they're often the same no matter where you go,_ Lelouch thought ruefully, but not without some relief. It reminded him that no one would recognize him as the Demon of Britannia, a title he'd much rather be without anyway. If the wrong people from his previous world found anything out about him being alive, all he would have worked for there would be for naught. There he was a dead man.

Besides that, other things had come to light as well.

The first thing was that he had been transported to a different world altogether. That much was evidenced by the magic surrounding him, the geography alien to him, and the twin moons in the sky, one pink and the other blue. Another fact, however, was much more alarming.

His Geass didn't work on Mr. Colbert. Or rather, he no longer had Geass at all.

He gave an order that was more of a question, but it still should have triggered the immediately dull response that someone under the effects of his Geass would. No, Lelouch could no longer feel the Power of Kings that had once coursed through his eyes, a longtime asset that he found indispensable during his struggles against his enemies. After all, absolute command was rather convenient, even if it was once per-person. It was something he would have to do without. Inconvenient, but nothing could be done. Instead, he'd been tied by a new contract, one possibly more irritating than the last.

Lelouch passed through the vast Academy halls, attempting to find a path out and tracing his steps along the way. He was apparently unconscious and carried up, so he had no recollection of how to navigate his way back down. He heard voices in the hall ahead and thought to ask for directions instead of waste his time wandering around the damned place.

That would be a mistake.

As soon as Lelouch turned the corner, he backed into the shadows at the sight of two youths flirting with one another by a fountain. An intimate moment, no doubt, and one he wished to avoid.

"Oh Sir Guiche, that's so sweet of you to say. I can make one of my cheesecakes for you if you would like." The girl was eyeing the boy shyly, placing a hand on her cheek and slightly turning her head away. A light blush could be seen on her cheeks in the dim light of the chandelier, rosy and full of warmth.

"I have no affection to hide from you Katie, my sweet little rose, I'm sure I would love to have a taste. They must be wonderful." The boy was full of pomp and seemed to have a thing for theatrics, holding a rose in his hand toward his companion. At face value, he was a kind of person Lelouch was familiar with, reminding him of one of his asinine brothers, blond hair, chest-frills, and all.

With no obvious way around them, Lelouch decided that the best move would be to quietly walk past, attracting as little attention as possible.

"Oh, it's the commoner Louise summoned."

"So that's him. He's been the subject of gossip amongst the first-years as well, Sir Guiche."

Lelouch continued to walk, minding his own business and hoping that the young noble would choose to ignore him and resume his flirting, but the noble still watched Lelouch as he called for his attention. "Hold it right there."

It would seem that little would still be too much, though in retrospect he had always been a magnet for such unwanted attention. Putting on the false smile that he had perfected in his own Academy days, Lelouch turned around to face him and spoke with polite indifference. "Yes, did you require something of me?"

"You should thank me for helping you up earlier. It's no good to cause trouble for nobility, but I suppose it couldn't be helped." Placing an arm around the girl, a laid-back smile appeared on his face as he continued to posture with his rose in hand.

"I see, so you're the one who carried me upstairs? I thought a servant would've been called to do that." _It would be awfully petty of him to falsely claim that he had helped a lowly commoner, but that doesn't seem to be the case..._

Guiche, oblivious to the doubt of the man in front of him, responded, "Although that is true, it is the duty of a Gramont to help others. Also, there weren't any servants nearby at the time anyway. It was more convenient to levitate you myself."

"Levitate me? Was Louise preoccupied somehow? Or does it take two people to lift someone like that?"

"Hm? Ah, has she not told you yet? She is known as Louise the Zero, a mage with zero talent and a zero percent chance at success!"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

 **Author's Notes**

Hi, my name is Verrill and I'd like to thank you for reading my fanfic between two of my favorite anime amongst many. Code Geass was a wonderful mess that left me always itching for more and The Familiar of Zero was a series that somehow caught my fancy when I least expected it.

It was a few years ago when I thought about how their shared title of "Zero" happened to be the same and yet mean radically different things, so I had wondered if there was anyone who wrote them together in the standard summoning-of-the-familiar way, but I couldn't find much that scratched that old itch to satisfaction.

Thus, as they say, write what you would like to read, and so here I am.

Also, though Lelouch is alive and maybe well now, this idea precedes that and as a result, this work will consider him planned dead at the time of the Zero Requiem.

 _Please_ support the official releases, review my work as you see fit, and be welcome to ask what you wish.

Otherwise, take care~


	2. Stage Two: The Familiar King Awakens

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage Two

The Familiar King Awakens

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _In the past, we found ourselves divided by conflicts that consumed us, only thinking of the next day, or even just the present at best, trying to fight for as long as we could. Then things changed more than I ever thought they would. I made new friends, I became a leader, and, most importantly, I found love. It still surprises me to this day how much we've been through, all because of that one man."_

 _-Kaname Oghi_

" _Dude, if you knew Lelouch from back then, I don't know what you'd think. Like, he seemed different. I thought he was pretty nice overall. When he was a student, at Ashford, I mean. He was aloof, yeah, but he was never cruel or mean about stuff. He was helpful with all the council work and we had a blast when everyone was together. Well anyways, I think the guy must've had some serious baggage under the act. But see, there's something that felt kinda wrong too… I dunno man, I'm still trying to make sense of what happened after all this time. He used to be a friend of mine, so I just wonder what got into him."_

 _-Rivalz Cardemonde_

" _A real gentleman would sleep on the floor."_

 _-C.C._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

 _Well then, it looks like things are more complicated than I thought._

A certain witch's words of caution, a human summon, a unique rune on his left hand, and his master was talentless? The conditions that were set before Lelouch were particularly unique compared to the others of this magic Academy, but for what reason had yet to be found. Was this some odd destiny or was someone playing with him from the shadows? Time would have to tell since he'd been reduced to a laundryman and thus had few resources at his disposal.

Lelouch reminisced for a while, recalling the time he spent in his previous world. While being Zero was an act of deceit, being Emperor even more so, it felt convenient to have people at his command, Geassed or not. It afforded him more freedom and more flexibility in his options, but here he had no idea what pieces were on the board. He would have to gather more information on the people of this world before making any big moves, otherwise, he'd only become a pawn in someone else's game. Thus, he would do as he always had in the end.

He'd let white move first, whoever that may be.

Lelouch continued to walk according to Guiche's directions. By the time he reached the exit on the first floor, he had to avoid another couple on their way in, this one even more flirtatious than the last.

"A-are you really sure this is okay? I mean, I'm glad I get to be with Kirche the Ardent, but even so isn't this a little…" The young man, despite his gruff appearance, seemed fragile in the face of the girl in front of him.

"Oh don't worry so much about it. There's _plenty_ more I want to do. The night is young anyway and I have a flame that has yet to be matched." A smile curled onto her lips, almost hidden by the vividly red waves of her hair, her tan body moving with arcs to match.

Lelouch kept an eye on them as he walked by. There were few places to hide in the open hall and he'd like to avoid the accusation of being a voyeur. He took a glance at the pair after they passed him, recognizing the red-head as someone from the summoning ritual from earlier.

It turned out that she would have her head turned as well, out of the corner of one eye looking at him while flattering her date. When she saw his gaze, she winked at him with a _questionable_ smile and went off on her merry way.

Lelouch had no words. It was just more unwanted attention. _Especially_ unwanted attention.

After deciding to act like that never happened, what that blonde noble had revealed about Louise continued to linger within his mind. _That would explain much of her_ _sour attitude, being unable to do what is so easy for others. This environment must be a constant reminder of her inadequacy. And inadequacy means vulnerability._

Would it do to manipulate people again? Would he play the same game as he did once before? On one hand, he was in a land full of strangers and magic and he needed every advantage he could get, but as exciting as it was to play such games, he no longer had a clear objective and being cold had left him isolated and lacking. _Perhaps I can use this an opportunity to try things differently, though for now, I'll be no less prudent than I was before._

On his way outside, Lelouch could see an open field of grass shrouded by darkness. Considering that, he doubted that he could find someplace to wash and hang the laundry without help. He felt somewhat powerless at his situation, but walking around the central tower yielded results.

He saw a girl in maid's clothing. It was difficult at a distance, but he could see her well enough to notice her, the white apron contrasting with the dark dress. He spoke up as he approached her. "Excuse me?"

Lelouch saw her jump, the sound of his voice enough to startle her. Turning around, she heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry sir, I was surprised there for a moment. What can I do for you?"

"I'm just wondering where I can get some laundry done." The young man gave a smile to the maid, holding up the basket of laundry in his hands.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Apparently, she had thought he was a noble looking to have his clothes cleaned, but even after clearing up that misunderstanding, she still insisted on taking his master's laundry anyway as she happened to be doing some laundry as well. Politely refusing her, they walked to the nearest place to wash them.

Lelouch quickly learned that she was a talkative one and that only helped him all the more. He was starved for information regarding the mere basics of this world and had found someone who was kind enough to share. While she didn't have much on political knowledge, she was a native of this world. What defined rank and status? The ability to cast magic. How did people live? Much like those from hundreds of years behind his own world's people. What opportunities did he have? He could answer that on his own, and his options were slim. He'd have to find some way to secure resources and connections himself, to shift the balance of his situation.

While he had many questions for her, it was often her turn to be curious about him. "So Mr. Lamperouge, where is it that you come from? Surely it cannot be so close if you've never known these things, yet you look as if you'd fit in with most of us here. After all, you have black hair like me but I've never seen purple eyes like yours before."

"Lelouch is fine, Siesta. You've probably never heard of it, but it's a land that I had to abandon long ago and a place that I don't feel like remembering right now." In a moment of more genuine expression, Lelouch frowned at the memory of his former home.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that's so sad to hear," she said, seeming crestfallen for a moment, "but I'm sure you can find a place for yourself here somehow. After all, with luck, I was able to have the honor and privilege of serving here. It's a well-paying job that many don't have the opportunity to do, working for noble children and all. It helps my family back in Tarbes pretty well too. I think you'll do well under Miss Valièrre."

"Is that so? Then thank you for your concern. I'm sure I'll find a way as well." _I just wonder if I can make things more tolerable too. I'll have to do something about my master sometime soon._

"Ah!" Siesta sprang up and began to finish hanging the laundry out to dry with the morning sun. "I just remembered I had a few other things I need to take care of. I hadn't realized how late it's become. I hope I haven't kept you for too long." Wrapping things up and collecting herself, she explained, "If you ever need your clothes washed, you can find me here near the servant's quarters. I'm also on kitchen duty right around the corner. Goodbye Lelouch, and have a good night!"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Louise awoke with a groggy feeling in every inch of her body. Suddenly feeling cold, she began to wonder where her blanket had gone and why it was so bright all of a sudden. Rolling over, she slowly came to, realizing that it was the early morning sun that was shining on her. She was never much of a morning person, always rising each day in a daze. Finally opening her eyes and looking around properly, she spotted someone she didn't recognize.

"Rise and shine, _Master_. I had some difficulty waking you up, so please excuse my rude awakening of you. I have your clothes ready here since I thought you would need to be up soon. Some of your classmates already seem to be awake." Someone was looking down on her, eyes narrow with a plain frown.

"Wait, who are you?" It took a second for her to realize that she had seen this person before. Her sweet dreaminess was replaced by the reality that had struck her the same as it did yesterday. Sitting up, she began to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. "Ah, that's right, you are the familiar I summoned." Taking a look, her clothes were set aside on her dresser by its mirror. Getting out of bed, she stood before him. "Dress me."

"As you wish then, my lady." As stern as he always seemed to be, he took her clothes up and began to carry out his duty.

Louise couldn't help but notice how quickly he was able to go about his business. It was as if he were already used to doing such things. Perhaps she actually did summon a servant. He had the efficiency, but his demeanor was so unlike that of one, no sign of that nervousness which peasants always carried with them around nobles. She had seen it in new servants hired by her family, how they would avoid eye contact and waver in their voice and movement, worrying about the impression they would make, always afraid and subservient. Most would get used to it eventually, but some never let it off. There were also those who were insufficient for whatever reason and would be let go as a result, although that rarely ever happened. She sometimes wondered how they had been hired in the first place as it was suicidal for them to contradict the nobility. He hadn't done so to her yet though, and then again why would he? A commoner was a commoner all the same. She wouldn't think of it much.

"Come on, let's go." With that, Louise picked up her wand, her familiar obediently following after her, none the wiser to the thoughts running through the former emperor's head.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch didn't think it was possible, but he was unhappier today than he was yesterday. Yesterday he could imagine explanations for his master's rotten behavior. Yesterday he could think of possible reasons for his treatment in this backward world, exceptions to the rules. But today he knew differently. Who treated their personal servant as she did?

His master wasn't the only one. Far from it, she wasn't yet the worst of them either.

Siesta had mentioned that some kind nobles were out in the world, but kind was relative. Nobles could spare servants of their wrath if they wished to, but they were still helpless in front of such power. For their mistakes, servants could be punished quite severely, often fined, whipped, and beaten amongst other _distasteful_ consequences for lesser deeds. Though there was a limit, his status as a familiar may have even put him down a level below that, a wonder why she was calling him a _dog_ , but it also allowed him to be different as well. He was far from other familiars, not an animal who was utterly shackled to their master. He'd be able to make an impression on people and make them see him as something more. He could even be able to get _her_ to see things his way too. Young people were impressionable, as all people were with enough effort.

They eventually arrived in a grand hall filled with the smell of savory dishes and fresh bread, easily seen to be coming from the dark wooden tables with lavish, steaming food laid out in a vast quantity. There were extravagant chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the floor was tiled with an exquisite marble checkerboard from wall to wall. As expected of an Academy for nobility's children, sparing no expense for the elite.

Walking by, Lelouch heard low whispers from a few of the students around them. Although they were trying to be quiet, many were audible enough to be heard by him, careless in concealing their words. Some were even less discrete with their gossip and he was sure the girl in front of him wasn't taking it well.

Her shoulders would tense up at the sound of their commentary, some of them having a more visible effect than others. Her hands would grasp thin air and a breath deeper than others would escape her, an exasperated sigh here and a tired one there. She'd tilt her head one way and turn it slightly the other, very much hearing, but never saying a word. Catching a glimpse of her face betrayed nothing. Still, he could almost keep track of what irked her the most, some comments about him being hired to pose as her familiar or how _illicit_ their relationship could be behind doors rising out to his ears. It irked him in the process as well. Some people thought of him as a man at the least, although it was of little comfort in such context.

Thinking more about it, while they were approaching the hall he could tell that she was already building more hidden agitation inside of herself. He'd known it from looking at recruits on their way to their first few missions, from students who tried to keep calm before a test, and from nobles who would meet his father at the throne, that including himself when he did so as a child in demand of answers. His frustration and bitterness were intensely real at that time as was his failure to protect that which he held precious and dear to his heart. His injury was of family. It would seem that her's is of dignity.

Louise stopped amongst the tables behind a particular chair. Pulling it out for her, Lelouch noticed a small plate on the floor by her seat and he could guess who it was for. He had to ask anyway. "So, where is it that I may eat?"

"You will be eating on the floor there." Pointing to said plate, she continued, "You're lucky to be eating in here. Normally peasants and familiars would eat outside, but I've made a special exception for you."

"Ah, thank you, _master_ , but I am simply unworthy of such _graciousness_ , and so I must excuse myself." With a quick bow Lelouch strode out as the mealtime prayers began, Louise apparently not bothering or unable to follow him. He didn't care either way. He'd get his breakfast elsewhere.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch made his way to the kitchen that Siesta had pointed out to him the night before and found the girl easily enough. She was bouncing about the kitchen from one spot to the next and appeared to be particularly good at her job, completing each task with ease. As she was finishing something up, she was able to notice his approach this time, coming up to him with a friendly smile. "Why hello Lelouch! What brings you here?"

"Good morning, Siesta. I was just wondering if there was any way I could get something to eat." Lelouch shrugged slightly and put his hands up and out from his sides. "It would appear that my master isn't so interested in giving me much more than scraps."

"Aha, I know who can help you with that." Turning around and yelling into the kitchen, she called, "Marteau! Marteau, I have a guest!"

It continued to be noisy even after most of the food had been served. From behind the rush of the servants, an almost massive man with lumbering arms and legs came over, standing taller than anyone in the room. "Is he of nobility?" Siesta shook her head and gestured to Lelouch. "No? Then welcome to my kitchen boy! Let me guess, you came here for the food, didn't you?"

"You would be right about that sir. Sorry for the trouble." Lelouch flinched a little at the man's boisterousness, unused to such rowdy kinds of people. He didn't seem like a bad person though, and Lelouch would be far from being curt.

"Ahaha, I do not mind!" Putting a hulking arm around Lelouch's shoulders, the big chef led him to another part of the kitchen. "Us commoners have to look out for one another when those damn nobles decide to walk all over us. Wait here, I'll get you something good."

Lelouch was quickly seated at a small table. It was easier to get food than he thought it would be. If he was able to gain favor based on not being a noble, was the divide between these classes that bad? Siesta would happen to provide an answer.

"Ah, that Marteau. Please don't mind him too much. His behavior can be a bit rough at times. He also has a sore spot for nobles, so I think you should keep your master away from him."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Lelouch asked, "What does he have against nobles?"

"Well, he used to be a soldier in the previous war. And a good one he tells me. He goes on about how the commanders had no respect for the work of the men that weren't mages. He's got a bad impression of them from that time, I assume."

"Talking about my military days for me, are you Siesta?" As jolly as ever, the chef came up to Lelouch and placed in front of him a hot bowl of stew that gave off an aroma that energized his appetite. Having not one meal since he had arrived in this world, the young man began to eat.

"Curious about me, are you? Well in my days as a man on the field, I had respect from my men and for my men. We looked after each other, we did. It was a good way to survive." He let out a hearty laugh and leaned closer to the boy. "Like it? It's just a bunch of leftovers tossed together, but it tastes well enough, doesn't it? Those nobles don't miss scraps like these. They can't appreciate simplicity."

"It's certainly far better than what I could've gotten my hands on. Thank you, Marteau." Admittedly it was well made. Though it wasn't complex, he would have assumed it was supposed to be a dish of its own. It seemed that the help here was working at the Academy for good reason.

"I'm glad you like it! I can make just about anything taste absolutely exquisite. It's like magic you can eat, no?" Letting out another laugh, Marteau set his hand on the boy's shoulder, perhaps a little too hard, jostling him around a bit. "Tell you what, I'll even show you the knife I picked off of a noble one time during the war. It's a keeper for sure, better in my hands than it was in his I'd bet."

"Oh Marteau, there you go again, showing off that blade. Everyone in the kitchen has seen it by now." Though she was chiding him, she still smiled at the two men as she passed by.

"Everyone but this boy!" he shouted back. "Here, I insist. It feels great to have in hand. It's a precious little thing, I'm sure you'll agree." The man pulled the blade and sheath out from his belt and handed it to the boy handle first. Thinking it would be impolite of him to refuse, he took the weighty blade in his hand and pulled it from the leather cover, seeing it gleam in a ray of sunlight. Immediately, something felt different.

He could feel a change, his body lighter and his mind sharper than they were a moment ago. Observing the back of his left hand, he noticed how the familiar runes glowed with a soft, white light. Lelouch let a smile creep out with the sudden understanding of a new power, _his_ new power, coming to him. It reminded him of when he obtained his Geass in the ruins of Shinjuku, save for the fact that things were far less urgent this time around. A breath of appreciation escaped his lips. "Wonderful."

Marteau would mistake his word for flattery. "I see you've taken a liking to it! It's one of the things I hold dear to myself. It's only seen the flesh of beasts these days though." Laughing once more, the burly chef would graciously take his prized possession back. Although Lelouch would have liked to experiment more with it, he couldn't take someone else's weapon and wave it around at a table for long.

"Marteau, the students are done with their meal and the cakes and teas are ready." Siesta returned as lively as ever, ready for the next order.

"Ah, how time flies when you reminisce. Go with some of the others and give the food out. They should be sitting around in the field that way. And boy, you're welcome here anytime your master gives you any trouble. If you need, you can leave that way without attracting too much attention." Pointing out the direction, Marteau excused himself and went back to work.

"Ah, and Siesta, allow me to help." If Lelouch were to be productive, moving around amongst the students was sure to let him gather information. He owed the maid too and it would make him look well to the servants in general.

"Oh, there's no need for that. It is my job, after all." Almost on her way, Siesta gently denied his offer.

Lelouch had his own plans, however, and would have things his way whenever he could. "I insist, Siesta. It's nothing to worry about. It's the least I could do, after all."

"Oh, alright then." Giving in, the maid led him to the trays nearby. "You can start by helping me bring these cakes out. We can't have them waiting too long."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Without Louise's presence, the students didn't seem to acknowledge him at all. Even if what he wore was modern, the plain white shirt, dark pants, and leather shoes were apparently inconspicuous enough for them to judge him as no one special. While he could still hear rumors about his master, they were few in number. With this, much more useful pieces of knowledge were able to reach his ears. He could pick up a few important names, matters of everyday life, its troubles, and some otherworldly facts, many pertaining to the familiars that accompanied these mages.

Moving about, Lelouch eventually came upon someone he recognized. The blonde boy named Guiche was sitting across a girl with long and curled hair of the same color. A red bow adorned the back of her head and an orange frog sat in the palm of her hand.

"I must say, you and your familiar look absolutely beautiful today, Montmorency." And with a flourish of his rose, he flashed a smile. Somehow, the girl seemed flattered, despite how cliché it was. Then again, Lelouch was no stranger to theatrics, having been quite flashy enough as a leader to catch the attention of the world no less.

"Why thank you, Guiche. That's very sweet of you to say." Petting her small frog, her pleased appearance changed into one of slight suspicion. "And by the way, I've been hearing rumors about you going out with one of the first-years. That's not true now, is it, Sir Guiche?"

The young noble gave off a subtle jump at the accusation. "What? Of course not, I have nothing to hide from your eyes, my dear, nor do I have any affection to hide from you either."

 _Hmph, she believed him, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a fool._ Serving cake to the pair, he figured that Guiche was a cheater, and a bad one at that, even reusing his lines from the last night. Thinking of that time, Lelouch noticed the brunette girl from then approach through one of the open walkways with a basket in hand, likely the cheesecake that was promised to the fop.

Not completely oblivious to his surroundings, Guiche took notice as well, quickly getting up and guiding his current lady away. "Come, my sweet fragrance, there's a lovely place under a tree that I'd like to show you. I'm sure you'll love it." Rushed, sloppy, unprepared.

"Oh, okay, but is something the matter?" With a look of confusion on her, the two left for another location, and as Guiche was leading her away, Lelouch noticed something shiny fall from his pocket.

Moving over, Lelouch couldn't help himself and picked up the object. It was a small glass vial about the size of the old black chess king he used to carry around with him. From it, he could smell something sweet and could tell that the dark liquid inside was a perfume.

"Oh Sir Guiche, where could you be?" Katie, on the other hand, had only found people she wasn't looking for, seeming just as lost and confused as the frog-mage from earlier.

Lelouch saw an opportunity. He could use that fool to make some change. It didn't help that the two-timer reminded him of Clovis time and time again. A smile came to him as he made his opening move. "Excuse me Miss, but do you know who this belongs to?"

Katie spun around to see who it was and her eyes widened when they caught sight of the vial. "That's one of Lady Montmorency's perfumes. Where did you find it?"

"It would seem that someone had dropped it and I was hoping to have it back to whoever owns it. Since it is Lady Montmorency's, would you mind giving this to her? It would be safer in your hands and, if you would be so kind, this gracious favor would help me immensely." Upon closer inspection, Katie appeared to be a somewhat timid girl that would almost hide behind her short, brown hair despite being diligent enough to be out looking for her lover.

"A-ah, okay then. I'll be sure to give this to her if I see her." She took the vial in her hands and began to look around once more, perhaps this time for a different blonde. She found nothing either way and moved onto the next field, the same direction where Guiche had gone.

With that, the stage was set. Although it was only amongst mere students, Lelouch still felt some guilty pleasure at stirring up trouble for others, a part of him always inclined to plot the ruin of someone else's day. _And speaking of the devil. It looks like he's realized his mistake._

The young man could see Guiche approaching cautiously in a bit of a panic, no doubt over the precious object he had lost. Lelouch was quickly noticed and was approached with questions. "You, Louise's peasant, you were nearby when I had left. Tell me, had you found a bottle of perfume by any chance? I'm sure I dropped it here a moment ago." Guiche's eyes darted around, desperately searching for the missing vial.

Calling him "Louise's peasant" wasn't going to win him any points with Lelouch, but if he was going to get involved any further he may as well go all out instead of leaving things half-way. "Tell me Sir Gramont, are you a man of honor?"

"What? Of course, I am. Just why are _you_ , a commoner, questioning _a noble_ about honor?" He looked even more puzzled than before as if he couldn't fathom what was going on. His agitated state probably didn't help his thoughts as he continued to search the ground like his life depended on it. In a way, it did.

"Because of your philandering, of course." Speaking a little too loudly, a few heads were turned towards them.

"Wait, no, be quiet you idiot! Things like that shouldn't be spoken of." Grabbing Lelouch and pulling him away, he hissed in a quiet hush and lowered his head as if to hide somehow.

"But if it shouldn't be spoken of, it can't be a good thing now, is it?" Ah, Lelouch was slightly having fun now, although he'd appreciate it more if he weren't being handled so roughly. Once in a day was more than enough for him.

Guiche spoke through his teeth with a bit of distracted venom. "It's none of your business. Just what do you want with me? I was the one who came here with questions. What right do you have to question me?"

Lelouch's response almost seemed nonchalant, but his voice held a quiet steel in it. "Allow me to advise you of something that I'm certain you'll need. I don't deny that you might hold some genuine affection for those girls, but if they hold an equal passion for you to match, then it is sure to be equally as heartbreaking to them when they find out that you've betrayed their trust. Hear me and listen to me well, Sir Gramont, make a decision while you still can, otherwise, it'll be too late. You'll become someone who you had never wished to be and the consequences will be more than just tears and apologies."

Guiche paused for a moment. "What kind of nonsense is this?" Despite his protest, Lelouch could see a flash of doubt spread through his voice and across his eyes. Although he was on edge, Lelouch could tell that the boy was lost in thought, turning the words over in his head. It seemed to him that Guiche still had something resembling a conscience on the inside.

Meanwhile, a number of students began to move around in a hurry, rising from the comfort of their seats and leaving. Something else had appeared to have become the focus of everyone's attention, including Guiche's. "Wait, what's going on? Malicorne, where is everyone going?"

A pudgy student carrying his table snacks with him answered, "Guiche, there you are! Montmorency's arguing with a first-year girl and apparently, it's over you! You'd better get to Vestri Court and take a look for yourself. I heard it's getting pretty bad right now."

Guiche paled even more harshly than last time, unable to hide his immense panic. Ignoring everything else, he made another mad dash, returning to the place where he had come from.

Lelouch, on the other hand, began to casually stroll to his destination. _Now then, let the show begin._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Guiche could begin to hear the shouting as he approached Vestri Court. It was a wide-open field that was clearer than most of the others, save for a few trees and structures around the edges, good for anything that required plenty of space. Especially now.

He braced himself for what was to come. Though he would see what could be done, he felt a horrible feeling well up inside of him at the mere thought of the situation. Certainly, he'd always liked the attention, but not as a loser. He was out in the world to prove himself to others and to live the life of an outstanding noble like his father or brothers. If only it were so right now.

Others had arrived before him, a large gaggle of people gathered around what was sure to be the two girls. Beyond the chatter, Guiche could hear his dear Monmon yelling her heart out. "And why do you have this vial anyway? I gave this to Sir Guiche as a present. Did he give it to you?"

"No, not at all! A servant found it and gave it to me to give to you." Although Katie asserted that it was the truth, Montmorency would have none of it.

"As if that's the truth! Tell me what has happened between you and Guiche. _Now_." The youth was able to push through the crowd and into the clearing the others encircled. He could already see tears in the eyes of both girls, one in furious temper and the other shrinking away from the fire.

Witnessing this, Guiche felt something clench in his chest, another pain to add to his already unpleasant feelings. The pressure was mounting and he couldn't bear to watch any longer. "Monmon, Katie, hold a moment!"

"Guiche! Just what is going on? You were going out with this first-year, weren't you? She told me you were going out with her!" Stomping her foot, the angry woman in front of him showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Guiche's mind ran blank at the accusations from both Montmorency's cutting words and Katie's betrayed gaze. "I'm sorry Monmon, please let me explain. You should not mar your pretty face with that look. Please calm-"

"And do what? Forgive you again?" She interrupted him curtly. His appeals did nothing to quell her fury. "Just shut it! What is your problem, Guiche? Just _why_ would you do such a thing? This isn't even the first time either, I swear, I've had it with you!" The sound of palm meeting cheek struck out amongst the silent crowd. Montmorency held nothing back, sending Guiche tumbling over with a large red mark stamped onto his delicate features. She marched and Katie ran, both turning their backs to the humiliated youth.

The crowd made way for the two. Nobody wanted to stand in the way of such turmoil, much less of a lady's emotions. As Guiche turned his head only to see them leave, he caught sight of that familiar of Zero with a smile plastered across his face. It could have been because of the desperate situation he was in, but to salvage his reputation Guiche tried to grasp onto what few straws he had before he would snap.

Yet instead, something clicked.

"To think I considered your words, for even a moment…" He rose from the ground and turned, forgetful of the laughter that was all around him. The crowd had responded to his sudden change in demeanor and watched with raptness at this newly found resilience. "This… All of this is _your_ fault!"

With a roaring accusation pointed in the familiar's direction, everyone's attention was diverted to the raven-haired boy once more. Wasting no time, Guiche strode up to him, knowing that his resentment was written all over his face for the peasant to see.

"I have never been so humiliated in my life. If you'd just given me the perfume, none of this would have happened. Making two ladies cry. I swear you will pay for this!" He drew his rose and jammed it towards him, intending to cause insult to his pride. "You will duel me, _knave_. Here and _now_."

He, however, would remain unphased. "Hmph, blaming others for your own inadequacy?" Guiche did not respond to the jab, too deep into pursuing the beating he wished to give. "I don't even own a weapon to duel you with. Would you assault a defenseless knave? It's hardly reasonable." The young man lifted his hands as if in surrender, but Guiche wouldn't take no for an answer.

Having none of it, the noble channeled his willpower into a rose petal, casting it to the ground where a plain sword suddenly grew into existence. It wouldn't save him anyway. He turned back towards his opponent and looked at him in his purple eyes. "Pick up the sword and _duel me_."

Walking over to the sword, he seemed to evaluate it for a while. He grunted as if he were scoffing at his work. Laying his hand on the blade, he drew it from the ground and leveled it towards Guiche in one swift movement. "If that is what you wish, then so be it."

"Wait, familiar! What the hell is going on here?" Louise stomped over, probably to save her familiar, but for him it was too late, drawing a blade before a noble and accepting the aggression, the duel. "Sir Gramont, please forgive him and stop this nonsense! Nobles cannot duel!"

It was time.

"And he is no noble! No matter what you say the duel has already started!" A flick of his rose wand let another petal fall to the ground. He would unleash his greatest achievement to wipe that smirk off of that peasant's face. "My runic name is Guiche the Bronze, thus you will be fighting my bronze Valkyries!"

A beautifully feminine and green suit of armor arose, decorated with a cloth skirt and ornate decor all over its polished body, its helm adorned with a wing on each side. The armor wielded nothing, no need for a weapon to seize victory and no need to let the commoner die. Not yet anyway.

With that, it made a sudden charge into the pitiful boy, ramming into him and immediately giving him a knee in the gut and a jab to the head that made him stagger backward. It knocked the breath out of him by the looks of it and Guiche let out a grin. "Had enough yet, commoner?"

"Stop it Guiche, he doesn't know any better!" Continuing to protest, Louise turned to her familiar. "Lelouch, stand down! A commoner can never win against a noble!"

He chuckled. "So now you call me by my name?" Odd, thought Guiche, he had gotten a hold of himself rather quickly, but perhaps commoners were more sturdy than he thought. This one was certainly braver. Or foolish.

"And what's that supposed to mean? I'm telling you to stop fighting!" Her words didn't appear to reach him. "What are you doing? Don't get back up or he'll kill you!"

"I don't plan on letting him." The familiar stood up sooner than Guiche had anticipated, retaining that defiant expression. "If I remember now, I heard something else before you summoned me. You were asking for a majestic and powerful familiar, right? If so, then I suppose it's time to show you true majesty and power." Turning to Guiche, he spoke with indignation in his voice. "Not even setting the terms of the duel before striking me? Hardly what I call honor. _En garde, Gramont!_ "

Guiche witnessed an unprecedented display of speed and agility. The familiar had lunged out, sword in one hand, lodging his weapon under the helmet of his construct. With a swift twist of his wrist, there was a horrible groan of metal followed by a loud pop. The head had gone flying off, landing with a thud on the ground nearby, and his Valkyrie was no more, falling over by the loss of a vital part.

"Th-that's impossible!" Guiche couldn't believe his eyes. Commoners could never fight back against the nobility. It wasn't in their power, so how could this peasant do so?

Guiche saw his opponent slowly approach him and felt panic strike him once more. Letting loose the rest of his petals in a rush, Guiche formed more armors to fight. This time they wielded various weapons, all advancing to attack. They would be a menacing bunch to any other swordsman, their swords and spears gleaming in the light, but the familiar was unafraid.

"Impressive." He remembered that his adversary's name was Lelouch. Louise had screamed it so loudly that everyone must have heard it. "But will it be enough?"

His Valkyries charged in as they were created, in ranks of two with their arms leveled to maim their target. Lelouch would simply avoid their assault with a dodge here and there, smashing through a pair of them with a single stroke. Guiche had attempted to pull his forces back once he saw how easily they were cut down, but he could only save one, the others falling before him like it was nothing.

"You should have taken your time to surround me instead of charging in so recklessly. What a waste." His lecturing both infuriated and terrified Guiche. It was if he was seeing through him and at the same time taunting him about how incapable he was. He also felt livid at having only a single construct left. His heart was racing, trying to find a way to salvage the situation, but only ended up hearing another clash unfold before he realized it.

Lelouch had cleaved off the right arm of his last Valkyrie, now more defenseless than the first. He changed his grip to a murder-stroke and swung the hilt into the side of the bronze helmet, knocking over yet another adversary.

He didn't stop there. The armor could still move, even if it was barely functioning. Stepping on its back, Guiche saw him smash his Valkyrie.

Again and again. Over and over.

By this time the crowd was hushed, watching the devastation with either rapt wonder or undisguised horror. Guiche would be one of the latter, not believing what he was seeing. He refused to, denying that he was losing to a mere commoner.

"Five hits in total. While they fall to pieces if I cut them, bludgeoning them is far less effective. How contradictory, but it makes quite the impression. Don't you agree, Sir Gramont?" Winding up, Lelouch dashed towards Guiche as he realized what was to come. He braced himself for the impact but failed to even get his arms to guard. It came to him with all the unpleasantness he expected.

He suddenly felt his feet leave the ground for a moment, no doubt flying back further than the slap from earlier had sent him. He landed with a force that was felt through his whole body and could feel his chest burn with an intense pain. Winded and coughing, he could begin to taste a bit of the iron flavor of blood in his mouth. The only thing he could feel even more intensely was the acute fear in his heart

He tried to retreat, but all of his energy was knocked out of him by that one blow. He was not used to being injured so. He could barely breathe, only able to prop himself up onto his elbows, frozen in horror as his fate seemed to be approaching. Lelouch advanced upon him with his blade raised into the air, ready to end him. He shut his eyes and turned away with no other option but to be a coward unable to witness his own death.

"Stop! Don't you dare hurt him any further!" Guiche heard a girl's stern voice call out. Although he didn't dare look ahead quite yet, he could feel someone support his head and back. Soft and smelling sweet, he opened his eyes only to see Katie holding him and Montmorency standing firm between him and the man who held his life, being as verbal as ever. "You _cannot_ take his life. I won't allow it."

Lelouch lowered his sword, but only to point it at her face. "You would run to defend this traitor? He's the one who betrayed your trust. He saw your love and took it for granted. Why would you protect him?"

Monmon showed no signs of backing down, even if she was interrupting a duel, proper or not. Why was she risking herself for him? He didn't care. He only wanted her to be safe, but she spoke on. "You don't get it, do you? If you kill him, others will be after you. His family is one of a long line of generals and they wouldn't cease to make your life miserable."

"Oh, is that so?" He wasn't taking her words seriously, looking down at her instead. "I would have to say that _you're_ the one who doesn't get it. It's not me you're trying to protect right now, is it? The question still stands. So, I'll ask you once more, why would _you_ protect him?"

Montmorency was quiet and Guiche couldn't tell why. He was bewildered by this course of events. To him, it was one of those moments where it felt like a hundred years had come and gone. She muttered something, but it was practically inaudible. The commoner would call her out. "No one can hear you. Stand aside if that's the limit of your resolve!"

Her head snapped up.

She inhaled sharply.

"It's because I love him!"

She yelled as if it would drive that man away, "Despite his skirt-chasing, despite the stupid way he acts, and the flowery compliments he gives to me, I still love him!" Her breathing had hastened, then gradually slowed. "I always have since we were little…" She became silent and Guiche realized that she was shedding tears. "Just what more do you want from me?"

"Nothing else." Lelouch lowered the blade, holding it downward in one hand. "It would appear that you are right, Sir Gramont. I have made two ladies cry." He made contact with Guiche's eyes and lowered his voice. "However, I must ask, will you apologize?"

Guiche had recovered somewhat from the blow he received and was able to respond. "I was wrong. I apologize for offending you."

"Not to _me_ , Sir Gramont." Guiche realized that there was something amiss, both about his own conduct and about that of the familiar.

"Monmon, Katie, I'm so sorry." He would not make the same mistake again. If he didn't know honor, then he was not a Gramont. "I'm sorry for being a fool…"

"It's okay, Sir Guiche. You'll be okay." Katie, still cradling him, gave him some words of comfort, gently watching him with moistened eyes.

"Let me make something clear to you," Lelouch spoke once again, "You're young. You do not yet have blood on your hands like others I have met. I'm sure that if you have any honor, then you would do well to absolve yourself of any misdeeds, past, present, or future. Remember this, Sir Gramont. Not everyone can have people who care for them so dearly."

Relaxing, Guiche saw the man place his sword into the ground by the tip, the same as when he had created it. He hadn't noticed until now, but the runes in his left hand were glowing, but quickly fading too.

"Not again…" It was then when he saw him suddenly stagger and fall to the ground, Louise running up to catch him. Before he was all gone, Guiche could hear him mutter, "Damn… side-effects…"

"What are you doing?! Get up! Get off of me, I can't carry you!" Despite her protests, Louise would be squashed by her familiar's back, unaware of the trouble he was causing her. "You're heavy too! Wait, are you sleeping?"

Guiche also rested himself on someone who would support him. He too felt tired, having to exert himself far more than he had intended. He was being riddled with more questions from the two girls, his body sore, broken too if he was correct. While he was being carried off to the infirmary, his mind began to wander off to last night as he was stared at the sky. _If only I'd known it would have come to this. What a strange one he is. Strange, but of honor._

Choosing to close his eyes, he would let sleep take him away. True, he had lost.

But today he had learned.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

 **Author's Notes**

Hi, Verrill here with another chapter. I hope you've all been well.

To be honest with you, I'm someone who took a liking to most of the characters in both series, even some of the more unpopular ones. From the original story, Guiche's fight with Saito served to be the big reveal to the Gandálfr's powers, but as a writer, and since you likely already know of these things because that's the nature of fan fiction, such a reveal alone was potentially moot.

There needed to be more weight in the conflict. I liked the characters of Louise's world, but fun as they were, I had wished some of them carried more depth and, as you can see here, I like trains, but not necessarily the rails on which they ride on. Thus, Guiche himself will be portrayed differently than from how he was. I have plans for him as I do for everyone else. I can only hope that it will live up to expectations.

Also, another thing that astounds me about these two worlds was how that many of the characters had reminded me of each other in one way or another, despite how different they are as a whole. Sometimes it's like you took one side and changed a few traits here and there to get to the other. As you've noticed by now, Guiche does remind me of Clovis in some ways and this chapter reflects that.

Once again, _please_ support the official releases, review my work as you see fit, and be welcome to ask what you wish.

Thank you for your time again. Otherwise, take care~


	3. Stage Three: The Ferverent Classmate

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage Three

The Feverish Classmate

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _That? Yeah, the sick girl thing was actually my brother Naoto's idea. He said that it would be good cover for whenever I had to be away from the others. It worked really well, but I still couldn't help but be sick of it all the time. I wanted to be me, not pretend to be some frail and dainty invalid. Nobody wants to act like someone they aren't. Only people who have something to hide do."_

 _-Kozuki Kallen, pilot of the GUREN S.E.I.T.E.N. and Ace of the Black Knights_

" _Oh, that one? It's something we try not to talk about too much anymore. I certainly thought I knew him, but he was always good at hiding his thoughts and feelings without letting anyone know. Sometimes I wonder if I could've helped him. I'm sure some of us do."_

" _I've wondered from time to time if things could have been different if I'd just gotten more involved. It's all too late now of course, but maybe somewhere deep inside he just needed some more guts!"_

" _In those days I thought that my wonderful antics could make people's school experience more exciting and cheer them up. In some ways it did. Nothing like a good meddling to get someone out of a rut! Ah, but yes, we thought he was something of a good friend to us back then. Good while things lasted."_

 _-Millicent Ashford, news reporter and granddaughter of Reuben Ashford, principal of Ashford Academy_

" _Things that don't change go extinct."_

 _-Milly_

" _She acts like some dirty old man!"_

 _-Shirley Fenette_

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch awoke to a blaring headache that threatened to put him back to sleep. He felt aches and pains, unlike anything he had felt before throughout his whole body, particularly of his upper half in his forehead, chest, and arms. If this was going to be his new power, he questioned how much he would be inclined to utilize it. _I should have known. This power only delays the fatigue. This feels horrible._

Lelouch always dreaded exercise, avoiding it whenever possible. If there was one class he didn't mind failing, it was definitely physical education. He'd ditched, made excuses, and even got his maid Sayoko to pose as him at times. He couldn't keep it that way for long since she ended up outperforming him by far, causing no end of wild speculation. At the least, she didn't somersault over them. No one believed those students the last time she did.

Lelouch heard the door open slowly with a heavy clunking. He turned his head and saw Siesta bringing in a tray of bread and water. "Oh, Lelouch, you're awake. I'm so glad. The injuries you received were actually quite severe. You've been asleep for days now."

He deemed this power a last resort.

 _Emergency use at best, unless certain conditions can be met._ Lelouch wasn't completely incapacitated, however, and gradually let himself up. He was wondering what Louise was up to when he saw her asleep at her dresser, breathing gently with her head down. He realized that she had let him use her bed to rest.

If it were that it would be too inconvenient to have him rest elsewhere, that meant she was keeping this up for as long as he was out.

Yes, he could see a large pile of laundry, an assortment of spent candles, and a girl concerned over her familiar.

"She's exhausted herself." Siesta, perhaps insightful and ever helpful, commented on the sleeping girl. "She was up each night looking after you and had asked me to bring you some food every morning in case you woke up."

"Is that so?" Lelouch wasn't completely sure what to make of it. He would readily admit that she was an unpleasant and disrespectful brat, but here her appearance was rather innocent and docile, the perpetual frown and glare now missing from her expression. A mere girl, much like his own sister in a way.

"Um, Mr. Lelouch?" Siesta was almost too quiet to hear. "Ah, no, nevermind it. Here are your clothes."

"Thank you." Lelouch took his clothes and put them on, trying not to think of who may have undressed him. He'd already felt violated too many times since coming to this place. "Siesta."

She straightened up and yelped, "Yes!?"

"Is there something wrong?" She was clearly avoiding eye contact and was speaking far more quietly than usual. Her odd behavior made him wonder if something significant had happened while he was unconscious.

"No, not at all. It's just… Your clothes are unique. I've never seen clothes tailored in such a way. There are bits of cloth here and there…"

"If you're curious, it's just the style of clothing from where I came from." If Louise was decent in covering up her thoughts, Siesta was mediocre at best. Her eyes widened as she looked downwards and away.

Lelouch began to have his suspicions.

"Sister Cattleya… the puppy…" He turned his head to see Louise mutter something in her sleep. For a moment he thought she had woken up.

The young man shifted and sat on the side of the bed. "Siesta, I'd like you to help me move Louise into this bed before I leave. I believe that I'm well enough to walk. She'd also want me to have that laundry done before long."

"Ah, yes, of course." They went to Louise and began to move her. When they had set her down, Lelouch spoke again.

"Oh, and Siesta, this may be a strange question for you, but tell me something." Lelouch looked at her with a piercing glare. She jumped much like the first time they met. "Are there firearms here in Tristain?"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _Sister Cattleya, the puppy! The puppy won't come!"_

 _A small Louise, no more than a child, ran and cried to her elder sister._

" _What's wrong, my little Louise?" The tall woman shared the same color in her hair as her younger sister. She opened her arms where she sat to catch the sprinting girl, slowly and gently taking her into soft hands._

 _She continued to bawl, even when her sister was comforting her. "M-m-mother s-said that the puppy has to go away i-if he won't come when h-he's told to." She tried rubbing the tears out, but the streams would only flow faster down her cheeks. "I-I don't want the puppy to have to go away."_

" _There, there, there's no need to worry so much." She placed the child's head over her shoulder and patted her back like she always did when a certain someone was upset. It had a gentle lightness and a comforting weight, reducing the girl's crying to tiny sniffles. "Mother will not let the puppy go if you raise it well. As long as you take care of it properly, any little puppy will grow up to be big and strong."_

" _Really?" The girl leaned back, her eyes glued to her sister's, shiny with teary hopes._

 _She smiled at the short little noble and made her biggest smile. "Really."_

" _Really? Thank goodness!" Her sadness was washed away by her sister's assuring words. She'd raise the dog well, and it would come to her._

 _Louise gave off a bright smile of her own, bright as the sun in the sky._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

"Sister…" Louise could feel her eyes flinch at the light that peeked through the fold of her blanket, never failing to bother her, especially after what felt like a nice dream. She thought of her sister and puppies. Weak, but adorable puppies.

"Did you have a pleasant dream?" A familiar voice nudged her from her rest. This time, however, she recognized it. "I've washed and readied your clothes. Class should be starting soon as well."

Louise sat up as she usually did, rubbing her half-open eyes and yawning half-awake as of she was ready to go back to sleep.

Coming to her senses, she looked around to see the room neat and clean. Last she recalled she had her clothes in a pile and a mess of candles, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Did you clean everything? The laundry too?"

"Yes, I have. The laundry is hanging outside as we speak." He seemed much more cordial today than he had before and that struck her as odd.

He had been more aloof to her, yet here he was, smiling. When he smiled, he looked too different from before, even if it was just a change in his expression. But no, it was more than that. His movements were uncannily smooth and his voice was far too kind and friendly. Did he want something from her? Was he simply in a good mood? It was nice and it reminded her of Cattleya a bit, but _that_ was weird. She felt suspicious all the same. It was probably all because if the dream she just had.

It made her wonder if something had happened while she was asleep. _Did he get his head hit too hard? Whatever._

She left her bed, moving to an open spot in her room. "Just get things ready. You'll be accompanying me to class, so we'll be leaving shortly."

"Yes, my lady."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

It had been a long time since Lelouch had learned something new in a class. He remembered the many instances where he was able to skip or sleep through a lecture without consequence to his grade. His memory was excellent enough to keep up with both his schoolwork and the rebellion and was no less sharp than before. This learning experience, however, was more akin to quenching a parched throat with some exotically-flavored drink. Strange, but refreshing.

However, as much as he was enjoying himself, Louise had assumed an entirely different attitude altogether, sternly paying attention with an upright posture. Out of all her classmates, she seemed to be the one with the most intense focus, her paper filled from top to bottom with note and theory. She would add more whenever the professor spoke, and still more even when they did not. If Lelouch could read, he'd bet that he could find an overabundance of information on her papers.

Other than that, the only thing actually distracting her for the moment was him.

She'd glance in his direction every once in a while, observing his behavior, mainly that of his face. Lelouch did think to himself that it would be suicide to turn his head. The tiered amphitheater-like seating arrangement made the back of the room an absolutely dangerous territory to view. Still, he wasn't the kind of person to be interested.

In all honesty, the situation made him think of his old friend Milly a bit. She was an odd girl with an attraction to the most risqué of comments and scandalous of events. He often asked himself how the Academy he attended was still standing in spite of her leadership.

He had been one of her main targets of mischief due to the proximity of their student council positions and his avoidance of anything even remotely incriminating. Luckily for everyone involved, things usually resolved themselves before long.

She would have found his current position both hilarious and enviable. _He_ , however, would much prefer to continue living.

"What are you doing with your hands under the table?" Louise gave him a worrying tone, slightly turning her head, going from glancing to staring down towards him.

 _So she noticed._ He was practicing his handwriting. The script for this world's language was different, so he was attempting to teach himself the alphabet and how to write by observing Louise, the professor, and the lesson. It was pointless to ask for a page when she had used almost all of her's up, much less if she would even let him have any in the first place.

He wouldn't get everything in one day, but he wished to start as soon as possible, even if it did make for peculiar movement. "Please, you make it sound like I'm doing something weird. I'm fidgeting. Is that so bad?"

"Yes it is, so stop it." She probably thought he was strange. He didn't care enough though. It was a means to an end. Her opinion of him still wasn't very high anyway, even after that display against Guiche. He had to devise a more direct way to change her perspective.

"Well done, that is correct." The professor had been asking questions and praised the blonde girl from that debacle for her answer. Thinking about it, the boy had been in a good mood and Lelouch couldn't figure out why. Was he resilient, acting, or stupid?

The class continued. "All of you should know that the most basic of magic can be performed when you are a dot mage. I can presume that all of you are at least capable of casting one element, no?"

"Pardon me professor, but you would be incorrect in assuming so." Lelouch's ears pricked up. He didn't have to see to know that it was Kirche the Ardent. She was also present during the duel along with the distinctly blue-haired girl that sat next to her.

It made him curious as to why those two appeared to be friends. Perhaps it was one-sided, but everyone can have hidden qualities about them. He was keeping track of whoever he could, and, by his experience, the quiet ones were _definitely_ no exception.

That one sat near the edge of the room in a seat close to the door. She had a book in hand, seemingly uninterested in anything. In fact, Lelouch remembered that she had the same book each time he'd seen her, whether it was at the summoning ritual, the duel, or now.

Lelouch noted his desire to get his hands on some literature while Kirche continued. "I hate to say this, but there is one student who can't use a single element, a student who has a _zero_ percent success rate at casting magic."

Lelouch looked at Louise from the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction and was surprised to see that there was next to nothing. She didn't flinch, or sigh, or glare, but stayed silent and taciturn through and through, rapt as ever to the task at hand.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

"So you would simply let them get away with it?" Once they had entered, Lelouch leaned himself against the door to Louise's room, giving her an evaluating stare.

"Get away with _what_?" She whipped herself around, already squinting at him with unbidden irritation. Lelouch remained undeterred. Louise may have asked, but he knew that she was well aware of what he was talking about.

They were long overdue for a talk and if she was to be his partner, they would have to have change before they could establish anything. Destruction before creation. "The insults. The rumors. Are they true?"

"So what if they are?" Touchy. She only became more upset, clearly agitated by the subject. If she wasn't willing to talk about it, then there would be no progress. He could _not_ let it be that way. He would prefer it if he knew what the problem was from the other students first, but secondhand gossip only got him so far before he would eventually need the precise facts.

"I don't think they could be completely true. From what I've learned since coming here, it's impossible for you to be a failure." The carrot would come first.

"And what do you mean by that?" Louise had crossed her arms, obviously in doubt, but more importantly, she was interested. She may have been full of skepticism, but curiosity, possibly hope, flickered in her expression.

"I mean it as I've said it. Whatever your problem is, I could help you be more than what you are now. After all, it is the job of a familiar to support his master." Here he gave her a smile, wishing to appear welcoming and confident in his answer.

She was quiet for a moment, giving him the same stare as he was giving her, judging and wary. Letting out a huff, she denied him. "I don't believe you."

 _She hesitated, so she's not lost yet, but there's still more to be done. A push here and there is all it should take._ "And why not?" Lelouch's voice had become more forceful, almost sounding closer to a demand than a question.

She crossed her arms and put her nose in the air, prideful as ever. "Because what could you, a commoner, possibly know about magic, much less how to help me with it?"

He responded quickly to her venom to help quash her disagreement. "There's plenty that can be gleaned from mere observation alone." He left the door to stand straight and met her eyes directly, nonchalant and frowning. "I suggest that we take a look at your casting sometime. From there we can test your capabilities, find your limits, and identify your problems."

She was listening, paying attention to his words, but such miracles only lasted for so long. Like a pouty child, she stared at the floor and muttered, "They're not problems."

"That's no good." Lelouch shook his head, disappointed in her immaturity. "Problems are only solved after they're acknowledged. I know you've got the latter part down already. You _know_ there's something wrong, everyone does, but you must first identify what that is."

She was angrier than he had thought, lashing back at him with a sharp indignation. "Since when were you the one to lecture me about anything anyway? As I have said, you are but a mere commoner. I _know_ I am a mage, but I've read, and I've studied, and I've experimented and everything just ends in failure! I _know_ that everyone knows. They mock me and I can't do anything about it, and if I can't do anything, I can't see how you could do anything to change that either, so just shut up and listen to me like a good familiar should instead of blabbering pointlessly about useless things!"

And now it was time for the stick. Lelouch shifted his focus from convincing her of benefits to informing her of losses. His tone became laced with a severe displeasure. "Perhaps I'd listen better if you at least had any more confidence than you do now. It's a shame your ability to think reflects your ability to cast magic. And if that's all true, why haven't you given up then? If you don't want to improve, then so be it. I can't help you if you don't want it, or rather, I can't help you if you want to stay being _a zero_."

That last comment pushed her over the edge. Lelouch saw tears form in the corners of her eyes and she began to shout at him with all her breath. He'd obviously touched on a sore spot of her's. "How dare you say that! No food for you, and I don't want to see your face either, so get out of here! Did you really think you could convince me? You can sleep outside for all I care, so get out!"

 _Oh, you'll come around. I'm certain of it._ "Fine. I'll go then," he said as he moved near the door to leave, "but take this time to dwell on my words tonight. Know that I know for certain that you can be better than this, Louise. I can make sure of it."

"Just shut up and get out!"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Siesta was probably in the kitchens or the servants quarters as of now. He had wanted to ask her earlier but didn't want to risk Louise overhearing their conversation.

Siesta knew something. What that was exactly, however, remained a mystery.

There were a number of possibilities that arose from their little conversation that morning. She could've been surprised at the modern quality of his clothes, but that was no reason for a person like Siesta to get so nervous. He also ruled out any other subject due to her reactions to his words being specific to what he wore.

That narrowed it down to a few possibilities.

Maybe she'd thought of stealing them or doing some other unspeakable thing with them. Unlikely and currently of no major concern. The tagging that lined the insides, however, was a red flag.

His clothes were Japanese.

Perhaps there was an equivalent to Japan here due to the fact that this place resembled western Europa United, a nation from where he came from, but that wasn't the theory that concerned him the most.

No, what worried him the most was that he may not have been the only thing brought from his world to this one. If that were the case, then he wanted answers.

The sun hadn't fully gone down yet, so he could catch a servant to find out where she was or find her himself soon enough. As luck would have it, someone else would find him first.

"Lelouch, over here!" He stopped to see who would call out his name and saw Guiche walking towards him. "I'd been meaning to talk to you sometime later, but finding you now is just as well."

While it wasn't vital to find Siesta immediately, Lelouch was almost looking forward to whatever it was she knew. If it had to wait though, then there was little to do about it. He'd been meaning to speak to Guiche too but lacked a reasonable opportunity to do so. The noble would have to come before the maid. "Is something the matter, Sir Gramont?"

"Ah, no, nothing like that. I simply wanted to thank you." His attitude was different, no longer looking down on him. He actually appeared friendlier than Lelouch had anticipated, no trace of the anger or annoyance from the last time they met.

Seeing the confusion in his silence, Guiche continued on. "That day I was shown true honor and mercy by you and since then I have gained much in thought and character. I had violated one of my father's tenants, underestimating you severely. Thus, I am inclined to make greater amends with you by inviting you for some conversation."

Lelouch saw another opportunity and was curious to see what had happened. It would make things easier for him if his former opponent actually wanted to get along. Hopefully, he wouldn't find trouble, but he found that unlikely. There was no need to be elaborate if he really wanted to oppress a peasant. He didn't seem like the type to do so either. "I would be glad to, but are you not afraid of associating yourself with a commoner?"

"Not at all, not at all. Here, come with me." Guiche straightened up as smug as ever, despite his previously humble words. "I am a man who now sees the error of his ways. Although people do speak of my loss, it is nothing compared to what I've gained from the duel we had. Your victory is well spoken of amongst my peers and the servants alike. It won't hurt at all to have a chat with someone like you."

"Then it would be my pleasure." His intrigue got the better of him and so he accepted the offer.

He would follow Guiche down a few corridors until they reached his room. As the mage opened the door, Lelouch could feel that he had learned plenty by just a glance.

His first observation was that Guiche de Gramont the Bronze was an absolute show-off.

Lelouch didn't roll his eyes, but Guiche wasn't helping matters either. The room itself was the same as the others, but the furnishing was beyond opulent. He had shelves and items permeated with various gemstones, red roses coupled with unlit candles lining the edges of his room, and worst of all a painting of himself hanging gloriously upon a wall.

Lelouch could assume they were for magical purposes. Mostly. Hopefully.

His eyes were caught.

He froze.

Chess.

It was the game that he loved to no end, even modeling his methods and plans after the motifs within it, and it was here in all of its checkered splendor. It verified his idea that this world held many particular similarities despite being fundamentally distinct and saved him the trouble of introducing the art if it was unavailable. Upon further inspection of the special box, it was a set made of crystal, no doubt that it could be terribly expensive.

Guiche noticed his open captivation. "That was a gift from my father, but it's been a while since I've touched it. It's beautiful though, isn't it?"

"It certainly is. It's also been a long time since I've played as well. Far too long." Lelouch was itching for a game and wanted to gauge Guiche. Anyone for that matter. As long as he could play, he would be happier than he already was. "If you could be so kind, would you mind having a game with me? I'd like to refresh myself with the rules."

"Very well then, another duel of sorts!" Guiche levitated the board to a small table as they took their seats. "I'd have food and drink ready too, but I hadn't planned on having you here until I saw you."

"It's not a problem to me at all, Sir Gramont. You've already been welcoming enough." Perhaps the fop wasn't as nasty as he thought he was. He'd find out later. Now was time for the game.

Guiche took white and Lelouch took black. The table was set and they began to play, Guiche instructing him on what to do here and there. The era had different rules than modern chess, giving Lelouch a new challenge yet again. There really were some good things about being here if one enjoyed learning something new.

"While we're at it, I'd like to talk about that power of yours." Lelouch wanted to see if he could gain a potent ally. If he was going to have Guiche on his side, then he'd like to know what he was capable of and more. "Having units instantly at your disposal must be quite the impressive feat."

Lelouch admittedly thought that such an ability was quite enviable. He'd have liked to have absolutely loyal units without the flaws associated with the manipulation of other human beings. The young man in front of him seemed to partially disagree. "Compared to the other students here I may be one of the more capable fighters, but in truth, it pales compared to the skills of my brothers, nothing to say of my father."

"Nonsense. Your father is a marshal in Tristain's army, is he not? It's not wise to compare yourself to him if he's that much better." _Although I'm not one to follow that particular piece of advice._

"Ah, but Lelouch, it is precisely because he is my father that I think so of these things. It is my dream to surpass him and his exploits both as his son and as a man." Though he was being as melodramatic as always, Lelouch could see that it was an issue that truly bothered him. "For that, I plan to join the army someday as some of my brothers have. As the youngest of four, I have much catching up to do."

The pieces moved across the board, clicking and sliding in the candlelight as their conversation continued. Guiche was more familiar with the politics and courtly life of the kingdom, proving to be indispensable to Lelouch. Concerning the young man, his behavior took after the rest of the men in his family, all having a penchant for being charming, flamboyant, and strong. Lelouch could sympathize, even when the blonde was being naive about it too. Thankfully, it was also mentioned that the gemstones and much of the decor did serve a practical purpose or were the results of such efforts.

Guiche's familiar was napping on some hay underneath those shelves, and some of the bright minerals and metals were the product of his work. The giant mole's name was Verdandi and he, like many other familiars, could help their master find precious materials for more complicated spells and crafts. The brown lump was especially fond of precious stones, able to sniff them out at a distance. Magically, no doubt.

The game eventually progressed in Guiche's favor. It was as Lelouch had intended it, only testing the waters and nothing more, relishing it nonetheless. "And it looks like you have the advantage."

"Naturally." He was being smug again. Lelouch didn't mind. It seemed to be in the youth's nature and was the nature of youth. "But only because you are learning. I must say you grasp these things quite quickly. I was right not to underestimate you again." He let himself up frowned a bit. "But it saddens me to say that, despite our fun, I have another appointment tonight. Think not of this as a retreat, Lelouch, but as a promise of a next time. I'll be leaving this board here for you."

"Then I look forward to continuing sometime. We'll know where to find each other." Reviewing the board, Guiche had made cautious moves, making sure to protect his king piece and making little use of his queen. It was understandable since in this era the queen moved like the king.

It was disappointing to learn there was only a variant of the queen that moved so far. Madwoman's chess. A fitting name that reminded him of a certain queen of his, the king-like variant in front of him reminding him more of the pink one that he had left alone.

Lelouch also rose from his seat and began to make an offer. "Also, since you've been so kind, I'd like to leave you with a gift that may help you with your efforts." _And with mine as well._

It was Lelouch's turn to see Guiche give him a curious look. "I'll need a quill and some paper if you don't mind. It's a diagram of something for your Valkyries. I'm certain it will be of use to you if all goes according to plan."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch had left at the same time as Guiche. The noble had an appointment with the girl named Katie. Asking further, the former emperor was stunned beyond belief.

Apparently, the two girls he cheated on were now competing for _his_ affections instead of him pursuing theirs.

Lelouch found it unfathomable. The nobles of this world were mad. _They_ were mad. Why hadn't they just dumped him? Did they like him that much? It made his own plans easier, but why like this? It was no wonder why Guiche was so amiable to him.

He wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or cry. On one hand, he had a new ally that had the potential to be a force to be reckoned with if all goes well. On the other… _Who am I kidding? They can do what they want. It's none of my business in the end. Yes, it is a means to an end. A means to an end._

Lelouch eventually made his way back, intending to return to Louise and check on how she was doing. He rounded the last corner on the way to her room when he took notice of another presence in the hallway.

At the other end was a giant red lizard with the tip of its tail flami-

It scurried up to him in a mad frenzy and Lelouch took a sudden step back. _What the hell?! What does it want with me?! I need a weapon!_

"Wait! Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Lelouch let out an unmanly shrill the moment it tackled him and began to drag him by the shirt to God knows where. He attempted an escape by unbuttoning it but only got so far before the creature reached its destination.

It proceeded to drag him through the door that was to the right of Louise's room. After depositing him on the floor, it scurried to the back as Lelouch jumped to his feet and became sharply aware of his surroundings.

He saw the moonlight crack through the thinly-veiled, maroon-colored curtains with a number of candles everywhere, silently flickering as they burned. The young man could smell a sweet thickness in the air that was just short of making it heavy to breathe. He heard a shuffle of cloth to his left where he knew the bed would have to be placed and dared not move his head to see what was waiting for him.

The ambiance set off an old alarm in his head more intensely than he ever remembered. He'd only encountered it a handful of times throughout his life and hoped to never know it again.

A madwoman was after him.

"Hello there, Lelouch Lamperouge, and welcome to my very private nest." A velvet voice invited him to dance with her without needing to ask.

 _This is insane. They're all insane._ He'd known many fairly assertive women and with each passing day there appeared to be more. Trying to remain calm, Lelouch faced this new threat head-on. He'd be met with a _robust_ figure equipped with undergarments that were astonishingly sparse. "So what business may I have with Kirche von Anhalt Zerbst?"

"Oh please, there's no need to be so formal. Although I do find gentleman attractive, a rogue is far more interesting." She wore a wide smile and began to slide off the sheets. "I know I shouldn't be doing this, but after your fight with Guiche, I couldn't stop thinking of you. You seemed so manly and strong." She maintained her gaze upon his whole body as she rose from her bed.

"I apologize, but your invitation was rather sudden. My master is expecting me to return soon, so I'll be taking my leave." A bit of a lie, but he wouldn't like to stick around and find out what could happen to him if he stayed. Before he could leave, however, Kirche had already closed in and wrapped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, allowing her mountains to squeeze against the flats of his back.

"Oh, you poor thing. Why be so cold when you could light a fire with me?" Kirche spoke like she was cuddling a small animal. "That girl must be rubbing off on you too much if you're saying dour things like that. Why don't I treat you to something better?"

This brought a question to the front of his mind. He turned his head slightly and asked with genuine wonder, "Why is it that you torment Louise?"

She paused, perhaps slightly caught off guard. "Is that what it looks like to you? I suppose it might." She relaxed but still retained much of her sultry air. "I only do so because if that girl was left alone she'd overthink herself into oblivion. Call it _motivation_." She took this opportunity to tighten her grasp of him, bringing her chin to his shoulder. "You do see how hard she tries, don't you? She goes all out when she's challenged, as do I when you play hard to get."

The gears in Lelouch's mind began to work, sobering him up somewhat despite lacking any personal space. "You should know that there are better ways to encourage her, perhaps like being her friend for starters."

She let out a long, thoughtful moan in his ear. "It is _she_ who doesn't want to be friends with anyone, and especially not with me, her rival." Getting closer, she whispered, "But let's not talk about _her_. Let's talk about _us_. I'd rather be a wonderful friend to _you_ instead."

That made the young man impossibly uncomfortable. It was like she'd stripped him where he stood, his partially unbuttoned shirt not helping the imagery. Lelouch was prepared to make a getaway when the window burst open, pushing the curtains apart to reveal a boy looking immensely displeased. "Kirche, who is this scoundrel? I thought we were set for tonight!"

He could've guessed, but he didn't have to.

 _It's the third floor. So mages can levitate this high? I should've asked Guiche for more details on this._

"Not now, but how about in a few hours, Marcus?"

"That's not what we agreed on and that's not my name!" The intruder looked ready to jump through the window. The glare he was giving Lelouch made him feel like he was angry at the wrong person.

"That's enough out of you." Kirche grabbed her wand from her bed stand and threw a short snake of fire, knocking the boy out of the air. Lelouch heard a long shout gradually become further away.

 _So either there's astoundingly magical medical care, she's politically powerful, or she doesn't care. Great._

"So, where were we? Mmm, _Right_." A predator's grin revealed itself as she approached him, but was interrupted once again.

"Kirche, who-" This one was shot down faster than the first was, sent to the ground in seconds.

"Now then, allow me to-" Kirche could only turn to Lelouch before more interruptions arose.

"Kirche, who is that guy?!" Three separate peers of her's had found their way to her window, all trying to crowd through at the same time, getting in each other's way, glaring at Lelouch.

It was madness.

Lelouch felt a headache coming on. He chalked things up to various reasons until he completely ceased to think about the situation to preserve his sanity.

 _I'm done here._ Lelouch took this opportunity to make his way to the door, careful to avoid Kirche's notice while she was distracted by the new victims. Her familiar proceeded to make short work of them by blasting a massive stream of fire out the window, sending them careening to the ground.

Lelouch also took notice of how well Kirche's room was decorated. Either she and Guiche each held a strong ego, or Louise was foregoing such things. It made him wonder what the statuses of their families were as he tried to open the door.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" It proved to be too late for him. "Stay with me and I, Kirche the Ardent, will treat you far better than that little tyrant ever will. You're too good to be her dog." She swiftly grabbed onto him as he tried to run, pulling him down onto his rear. "Or could it be…" She came up to his ear as closely as she could and said, "that you're a virgin?"

Lelouch became desperate.

The door swung open to reveal a silhouette backlit by the candles of the hallway, enveloped by a fluttering pink nightgown.

He was saved.

"Kirche!" Louise marched towards them, stopping within arm's reach, hands balled into fists. "Alright, Zerbst! Why are you trying to seduce my familiar!?"

Kirche remained nonchalant, her response collected and teasing. "I'm afraid it can't be helped. Love and passion are the destinies of the von Anhalt Zerbst family. I only wish to burn in flames of love."

Louise ignored the seductress and looked at Lelouch. "Come here," she commanded.

Kirche sat up, defiance on her posture and her words. "Now wait! He's-"

"I'd rather not, so if you'll excuse me." Without wasting a moment, Lelouch got up and strode off after Louise.

"Oh no, you're going home already?" She began to make puppy eyes, but very few people in the world could use such to get to him. Kirche was not one of them.

He stopped at the door for a moment.

"Yes, I am. Goodnight."

Then shut the door behind him just as quick.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch didn't think he'd be so thankful to have Louise as a master so soon. There were some merits to having a noble's protection.

After they entered her room, Lelouch broke the silence that lingered between them after they left. "Louise, what is your relationship with Kirche?"

"I'm the one who should be asking _you_ that question." She was shuffling around the drawer to her dresser, opening it as soon as they had gotten in.

"She mentioned an animosity between the two of you in particular. I figure that she's a rival of yours?"

Louise stopped searching and began to rant. "The von Zerbst family and the la Valièrre family have been at each other's throats for generations." Talking more made her appear angrier, the thought of her enemy making her blood boil. "My family shares a Tristainian border with their Germanian lands. Because of this, they have tried to take whatever they could from us every time there is war. And even when there is not, they still seduce and thieve from our people. That makes it my duty to make sure they don't steal a single thing from us, even if it's just a dog."

"A dog?" _Ah, right, that would be me, wouldn't it?_

Louise didn't respond, but instead held a riding crop in her hands, taking one deep, shaky breath and letting out a decidedly unladylike growl.

Lelouch didn't like where this was going. "And what are you going to do with that?" He asked as if he didn't already know.

"That depends on your next answer." The whip made a light noise in her hand with each flick of her wrist, much like the countdown of a clock. "Why were you with _that_ woman? I thought you were civilized at first, but are you really that much of a horny dog?"

 _Angry and presumptive. Kirche may have been right about Louise's general unfriendliness. Let's see if we can't try again to change that._

 _Now then…_

He raised his palms in a gesture of surrender, much like he did before. "I was returning from a chat with Guiche when Kirche's familiar dragged me into her room. I have nothing to do with her antics."

Pink remained fixed on him for a while, staring at him in an attempt to read any falsehood. "You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not. Guiche can vouch for me if you'd like to be sure." Same innocence, same smile, same old friendly act from the old days.

"Guiche?" She maintained her squint for a little longer, but gave up and dropped the whip back into where it came from. A moment more and he would have thought she was paranoid.

"How stupid." Her mood cooled to a low simmer as the insults continued. "I thought you were a swordsman. Couldn't you have fought off her salamander somehow?"

Lelouch let his arms down and relaxed, seeing that the worst had passed. "I believe my fighting capabilities from then stem from the contract we've made. I was never good with physical combat until then. This power appears to allow me to use swords and possibly other weaponry to maximum effect."

She went to her bed while he spoke, lost in her thoughts before settling down. "It's true that some familiars gain extra abilities when the contract is formed, such as black cats learning to talk."

It reminded Lelouch of witches. And then a particularly annoying one. _I'm still waiting on that explanation too._

Aside from that, at that time he'd been impressed with himself, then disappointed just as well. As much as he wanted to one-up his best friend again, this was the way to another opportunity and he wouldn't miss it. "Whatever it is, it's triggered when I intend to use a weapon that I'm holding. It would be good to obtain one soon, wouldn't you agree?"

"Tomorrow does happen to be Hollow's Day." He could see that he had convinced her. He'd also convinced himself that she was at least somewhat rational. For now. "Get to sleep early today. We'll ride out to town and find you something. I will _not_ have that Zerbst kidnap you whenever she wishes to, got it?"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch could taste the fresh morning air, allowing the sun to warm his aching body. The fight still left some kinks here and there and sleeping on the floor did him no wonders, but he would look forward to each day. Progress was to be made.

He saw pink hair approach with a plain brown horse in tow. "Louise, how far is the city from here?"

"A three-hour ride. If we are uninterrupted, that is." She was checking the saddle's straps and buckles, making sure that all of their necessities were properly secured.

"Allow me to take the reins." Lelouch casually strode up to the animal and stood next to Louise. "I should warn you that I might be a little out of practice though."

"You can ride?" It was as if she'd always doubt him no matter what came out of his mouth. "Fine then, but you'd better not mess up. There'll be consequences if I fall off."

They mounted the horse, Louise behind Lelouch. He familiarized himself with the saddle, rugged and well made, and braced himself for the ride. "Don't worry, I'll have it all under control."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

"Tabitha! Tabitha, I need your help, so open the door!" She expected Kirche to eventually open the door without her help. She never vocally protested, but she knew her friend would still barge in regardless. It couldn't be helped, but whatever it was, she didn't really want to hear it.

It was a day off and it was time to read.

She cast a discreet silencing spell with her wooden cane before she burst in. Though her friend looked frantic, she couldn't hear a word from her. She'd have her peace for as long as she could.

They were friends because Kirche didn't care for her cold demeanor. She understood that she wouldn't respond like others would and respected that in a particularly unique way. Kirche could see people's motivations as well as she could and chose not to acknowledge them anyway like she did. Odd as it has been at first, it was because they were so unlike others that they were with each other. Both selfish, albeit for very different reasons.

But though that may be, she could do without the incessant rambling because she knew what the beauty had come for.

That familiar.

On second thought, the term familiar wasn't quite right. Familiars were supposed to be animals, loyal to their masters. Here was an exception. He was a young man, but a willful and calculated one, unphased by what would be certain death to others.

He knew what he was doing. And not in a foolhardy way.

She'd seen people like that. In a way, she was one of them too, someone who had seen the truth of people, how cruel the world can be, and were hardened because of it. Admittedly, she didn't like thinking about it, but she wasn't innocent either. As a result, there was an unflinching steel under every action. An unfettered bedrock that she happened to show on the outside too.

Kirche should have been nearly done, so she waved the spell away. Her ears were attacked by the "love" of her friend's heart.

"I love him! But that Valièrre has taken him to town and I need your familiar to have any hope of catching up to them!" She was practically begging her, and in the end, she'd say yes for her either way.

She slowly put her bookmark in her book and closed it. It was _Ivaldi_ , her favorite too, but it would have to wait.

She left the comfort of her bed and opened the window. She put her fingers to her lips and made a shrill whistle. She jumped shortly after, Kirche following as if they weren't multiple stories up.

After a moment, her dragon had caught them and was soaring up into the sky. She'd lost count of how many times she'd done this, and thankfully it never got old. She'd summoned it out of necessity many years before she even came to the Academy and it had been her companion ever since.

"A horse. Two people." The blue dragon bobbed its head in understanding of the brief order. "Ah, no eating." Another bob and they were off, wind rushing through their hair.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch didn't know much about how shops worked around here, but he was questioning the legitimacy of the establishment they had entered.

He couldn't imagine how Louise could have heard of such an out-of-the-way place. While it seemed legitimate enough, the building itself had wood that seemed to creak with every step and some blades that seemed rusted beyond usefulness.

It was also worth mentioning that the shop owner of the store was his own case of shady business. He had a bulbous nose that seemed to complement his buck teeth and a smile as fake as the glittering sword in his hands.

At least it was still a weapon, regardless of the fancy decor, giving him the faint glow in his runes.

"So, how do you like it, sir?" He was rubbing his hands together as if he were standing next to a warm fire. "It's a fine blade forged by a famous Germanian blacksmith, guaranteed to cut through steel like butter!"

 _Like butter you say? Hmph, just like your words._ As much as Lelouch wished to tell him so, he wasn't there to cause trouble. "I apologize. Though it's a nice sword, it's much more than what a mere servant needs. Isn't that right Louise?"

"I'll be the one to determine that." Louise faced the shopkeeper, unperturbed by the atmosphere. "How much for the sword?"

"That would be three-thousand new gold coins."

"What?" Louise was struck with a look of disbelief. "You could buy a decent new manor and a nice garden with that kind of money!"

Lelouch knew it would be expensive by just a glance at the golden body and inlaid jewels, but that seemed far too much for a lump of metal, enchanted or not.

"Ah, but a good sword can save your life and a life can be worth a fine castle, my lady." He may have been a rat-for-a-man, but he had a way with his words. They were meant to inflate a person's ego and desire, but Lelouch could see the scam for what it was. No matter how good a blade it was, this one was prohibitively expensive, beyond necessity, and exceedingly gaudy. He wouldn't be swindled and that meant that he wouldn't let Louise be swindled either.

"I don't have that much money right now though…" Louise seemed a little disappointed, and Lelouch realized he was too.

 _So studious in class, yet still so naive elsewhere. She's going to have a lot to learn if she wants to survive._

"How unfortunate." The young man set the sword down on the counter. "What can we afford then?"

Louise asked the shopkeeper, "What can we get for one-hundred coins?"

"There's a barrel of swords right there that you can pick from." He went to the pile of metal and pulled a blade from the others. "If you're going to choose from here, I suggest this one. It's not in too bad a shape and with some oil and a cloth you can get it back into good shape."

Lelouch let the sword into his hands and gave it a quick flourish. Though the blade was broad, it was surprisingly thin and light for its size, well-balanced too. It had a single edge that had a sharp angle at the end to make a triangular tip, clearly made for cuts and chops. The handle and hilt looked rather unique, however, undecorated save for an odd u-shaped part on top of the guard that rattled around when he swung the weapon around.

If he didn't know better, he would have thought that it was of a modern make somehow because of its precisely smooth edges and mere surface-level rusting. He chalked it up to the miracles of magic once more.

Louise's frown was becoming more of a scowl each time Lelouch took a look at her. "This piece of junk? It's the right size, but it's so badly rusted I couldn't tell what kind of sword it was when you pulled it out of that dark corner. It looks weird too and it's probably not even worth that much…"

Just when it looked like she was about to concede, they heard someone shout, "Alright! I've had enough outta you all! There's only so many times you can call someone a piece of junk until they've had it, y'know!?"

Lelouch identified the voice as belonging to the sword because the words moved in tandem with the odd bit of metal that hung around the base of the blade. That didn't stop him from nearly dropping it in a fright.

"Also, I'm at least worth as much, no, worth _more_ than that hunk of jewelry you call a sword!" It prattled on, obviously angry at them for their ungracious commentary.

"It can talk?" Louise was as surprised as he was, if not more. "Sentient swords are rather uncommon and I've never seen one before." She looked at it with a cautious curiosity.

"Trust me, you won't want to see it again." It was the shopkeeper's turn to frown, apparently upset at the sudden outburst. "That thing's been scaring away potential customers every day and I was hoping to sell it off somehow before it said another word. I might as well throw that damn thing away!"

Lelouch began to think.

"Give it to me then."

"What?" The shopkeeper gave Lelouch a funny look. "No, I'm still going to have to try and sell it. I at least want my money's worth for what I bought it for!"

"Ha! The guy who sold me to you didn't know a good sword either! A hundred coins? What a chump!"

It was rather emotional for a sword, but Lelouch could work with that.

"Alright, give me a moment then." He raised the blade in his grip closer to himself. "So, do you have a name?"

"Yeah, funny you ask. People don't usually ask a sword for its name. Rude of them, really. It's Derflinger by the way."

"It's good to meet you then, Derflinger. Lelouch Lamperouge." He made a kind smile for a good deal of the time he was taking, making sure to read the sword and, again, have good first-impressions.

The way it chortled reminded him of an old man. "Well nice to meet you, Lulu! I've gotta say, I like you already, partner!"

"Likewise." His smile twitched. "I'd like to set the terms of our partnership with you. I'll be able to get you out of here once and for all if you agree." He would endure, keeping thoughts of disposing of this thing in the back of his mind if this matter didn't turn out well. "Oh, and please don't ever call me Lulu again."

Louise and the shopkeeper were having their own conversation as well. "Huh, he's having a decent talk with it. Didn't think that was possible."

"He's done similar things before, but founder, why do these weird things keep happening to me?" Her laments would go unanswered as Lelouch and Derflinger finished up.

"I'll take it."

As the exchange of money went about, each of them had similar thoughts of each other.

 _I can't believe this is happening. What an idiot of a familiar…_

… _to want such a crummy, annoying thing that's more of a liability if you can't use it right…_

 _...to be sold away to a stranger, ignorant in the identification of a proper tool and its potential._

All three looked at each other once more, saying their goodbyes, and shared one last thought.

 _Stupid._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

In her room, Lelouch bright up something that had been bothering him since he had been kidnapped by Kirche. While the matter didn't directly have to do with the fire mage, her possessions did. "Louise, I'd like to talk to you about something that concerns me."

She seated herself at her dresser and gave him another dirty glare. "And what is it this time, familiar? Are you going attempt to lecture me again?"

"No, not at all." He genuinely wanted to know because such a factor would affect him as much as it would her. "To assist you in the future it would be good for me to know why your purse has been so light. I have my guesses as to why, but I didn't want to assume anything before asking."

"And just what does my familiar have to say about how his master spends their coin?" She crossed her legs and arms, giving him another sideways pout. He'd come to know it as a defensive position of her's whenever she was unwilling to concede to anything even remotely unpleasant.

Put simply, she was being stubborn again.

"When I had visited Guiche and when I was captured by Kirche, I was able to have a look at their rooms. While I see that yours is sufficiently furnished, it lacks the decoration and luxury that I'd seen from the others, especially as the daughter of a family as powerful and wealthy as yours."

"And your point is?"

"You'd obviously wanted the more expensive blade, but lacked the funds for it. That rules out simple tastes as a reason. There's frugality as well, watching what you spend, but that doesn't entirely explain why you had so little money to start with. That leaves me with only a few possibilities."

He lifted one hand up and began to count on his fingers. "One, your family doesn't provide you with a large enough allowance. That I highly doubt unless there's a particular reason for it. Two, you've spent what you had on something else, whether it was for a service or some other need. There's also a third possibility," he said, lifting another finger, "Both are true."

She continued to glare at him until she pulled her head up in another fit of pride. "Well, you'd be right then. I had to spend it on keeping my familiar from falling into a coma or _dying_ on me." She spat out those last few words like they left a bad taste in her mouth. Whether it was because he was her property or because she cared, he knew she had been worried.

"And the first reason?"

She opened her eyes and lowered her gaze, her head still slightly turned to the side, before taking a deep breath that was more of a sigh. "In the Vallière family, there is a philosophy set by my mother. She calls it the Rule of Steel. I wasn't allowed much more than I'd needed for my stay at the Academy."

 _That doesn't sound very pleasant._ Lelouch thought of his own family and frowned. "And this Rule of Steel entails what?"

She didn't respond for a while, seemingly at a mental impasse. Seeing Louise's hesitation on the subject only made him feel the need to know more intensely. If she was willing to talk, then all of his efforts to make a connection with her will have finally borne fruit. "Go on, I'm listening."

If Lelouch had to guess, he'd say that she was wondering what she was doing, confiding in a familiar, but her words would still carry that eternal attitude of her's. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. You would eventually have to learn of it anyway, so I'll tell you." She flipped her hair back, readying herself.

"My mother has always believed, for as long as I can remember, that the rules must be followed no matter what. This is the basis of the Rule of Steel, got it?" Lelouch nodded and she continued. "If the rules aren't followed, then you become a nuisance that drags others down with them."

Lelouch already disliked her mother. To ask for obedience without question was something he didn't sit well with. Not for himself anyway, as ironic as it was. He had his reasons though and she'd have better have her's as well. "And who makes these rules?"

"The nobility, of course. It's the laws and customs they set that must be followed. That's how order is kept and how society works, stupid."

He wanted to scoff, but not because of the demeaning way she was treating him. He knew he asked a question with an obvious answer, but it was all to be certain of some things.

To him, the Rule of Steel was too narrow-minded. While rules were required for civilization to function, they could also be used to hold it back. In this aristocratic environment even more archaic than his, he felt that these rules made by the powerful no doubt benefited them too. It was natural for this era, but he didn't have to like it.

"You were saying that it was your mother came up with this Rule of Steel. As your familiar, I should know about your family too, shouldn't I?" By this time Lelouch was sitting on his pile of hay with the rusty Derflinger set down next to him and watched Louise as she gradually began to relax as well. "For starters, how about your mother and father?"

Louise had let her shoulders down, placing her arms at her sides and setting her hands on her seat, staring at the floor in front of him with a thoughtful pout. He didn't know what to think of it, this being the calmest conversation they've ever had. He only felt satisfied that there was progress between them now.

"Well, mother is known as the strongest mage in Tristain. She's a square class wind mage known to most as the Heavy Wind, a name that armies would flee from if they'd heard even rumors of her approach, or so at least father tells me."

 _I wonder if Kallen would've liked to test that. "_ And your father?"

"Father is known as Centurion, Duke de la Vallière. He was awarded the land and title in his military days after the war. That's where he and mother met. He's a kind man if you get to know him." She paused once more, looking a little uncomfortable, but quickly resumed.

"Élénore is my oldest sister. She is a triangle earth mage who takes after my father with her blonde hair and does research at another academy." Louise made a wide frown as she went on about her sister. "Also, never mention marriage to her. She can be scary if you test her." He got the impression that they didn't get along all the time, evidenced by what he was seeing when Louise spoke of her.

She stopped as if she were finished, but Lelouch knew there was more. It would be good to change the subject to someone that, he assumed, was more pleasant than the others to the young girl. "And what about Cattleya?"

She looked up, visibly surprised at his question. "How do you know her name?"

"I heard you say it in your sleep the day I woke up after Guiche's fight. Along with something about puppies." He saw a fierce blush spread across her face as she moved her gaze to her feet. "Does she mean a lot to you?"

Keeping her face down, she gave a little nod of her head. "She does mean a lot to me. She's the nicest sister anyone could ever ask for. She has hair like mine and mother's and she always has all of these pets that follow her around. She takes care of each one with the gentlest love and kindness." Louise had a small smile now, slightly hidden by her pink bangs. "And I love her very, very much."

"It's good to know that there's someone who cares so much about you. You'll find that people like that become irreplaceable." He couldn't help but smile as well, remembering better days with better relationships. _Euphie, what would you make of all this? This world, this situation, and this girl?_

A knocking sound ended the moment and they turned their heads, wondering who on earth would want to see them at this time of night. They looked at each other for a moment before Lelouch got up to answer the door.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Louise could feel her face burn up in anger. How could she think that she had any right to come bursting into her room unannounced? Then again, if she _had_ announced herself, there was no chance she'd let her in, but the Zerbst knew that. She knew she was being rude on purpose! "I want to know the meaning of this, Zerbst. Why the hell are you here?" _And her friend too. That's my bed she's sitting on, but she's not the main problem here._

"I'm just here to give a handsome sword to a handsome man." In her hands was the golden sword that they'd seen from the shopkeeper they visited, let out from the sheath that contained it. "I feel so sorry for him. His master couldn't even afford a cheap blade like this, so I decided to get it for him."

"So you followed us?" Louise was surprised to hear her familiar speak up. She was actually about to ask the same thing, but the words were caught in her throat before he interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I can't say that your effort was worth the trip. After all, I chose this sword for myself."

"Oh no, my darling, there's no need to lie just because Louise is here. I saw how disappointed you were after you left the shop. There's no need to hide it." She couldn't tell if her enemy was being deliberately ignorant or seriously thought he was hiding the truth. "And Louise, try not to be such a cruel woman who can hardly understand a man's feelings."

 _What an idiot she is. He wasn't sad until I told him that I couldn't buy him any pistols. It's not my fault I ran out of money._ "Are you deaf, Zerbst? Didn't you hear him? We don't need that or anything else that you have to give."

"I wouldn't be so quick to say that, Vallière." The blasted woman still refused to give in. "I hear this sword was a masterpiece from Germania. All the best swords and women come from there." She faced Louise once more and her smile grew. "There's no way a Tristain woman like you could compete."

Louise wouldn't take that lying down. It was a good thing she had been prepared for a long time. She made an evil smile too, feeling that she could deliver a fatal blow to her enemy's spirit. "I bet you flirted with so many men that nobody wanted to deal with you anymore and that's why you came here to study abroad in a neighboring country."

Pink saw red reach for their wand and so she did as well. Raising it at the Zerbst, Louise felt like it was about time she dealt with the thorn that had been pricking her for the longest time.

Kirche's smile was unchanged, but now there was a dangerous glint in her eyes that only signaled trouble. "That was quite the mouthful."

"Maybe, but it's the truth"

Louise heard the wooden rattle of a staff landing on the floor. She didn't know when it happened, but Lelouch was standing in between them, holding Derflinger at his side, hand tightly gripped around its handle. "A thousand apologies for the sudden intervention, Lady Tabitha, but I believe that your friend has overstepped her boundaries. I will not have Louise be threatened, especially not in her own room."

Louise was startled by how quickly he moved. She could better understand how terrified Guiche may have been during that fight. Lelouch was, however, defending her this time, something very few people had done for her in the past.

While it was natural for a familiar to jump to his master's aid, something felt odd about the way he was doing it. Maybe it was because he hadn't done so before now. Last time he opposed a noble was because of his own selfish decisions, yet here he was shielding her from her sworn rival. Did he really care so much about her or did he have a death wish? Was it both?

She looked over to see Tabitha with a sliver of surprise on her face. Though it was like trying to read a _small_ word, she could still see it, which surprised her too. The blue-haired wind mage made eye contact with Louise and she noticed something out of place in her sight. _Is it my imagination or is she sad? Not angry? But why?_

"Oh no, Lelouch, has that witch corrupted you this much? How far has she gone to brainwash you?" Louise would have said something back if her familiar wasn't in the way, but he would retaliate for her once more.

"This witch you speak of is my partner." He held a firm, commanding aura that resonated in his words. Even she could feel his animosity even if she wasn't the target of his ire. It reminded her of Élénore a little too much. "Also, there is no brainwashing, only my loyalty. I'm very sorry, but I'll have to ask you to leave for tonight."

"Oh, fine then, but that doesn't mean I've given up just yet." She went over to her friend and took her hand. "Come on, Tabitha, we're leaving now, but we _will_ be back."

Lelouch moved to pick up the staff he had knocked away from Kirche's companion. "I apologize again for my rude behavior. I wouldn't have had to if I wasn't provoked. Do keep your friend from misbehaving, if you can."

She adjusted her red glasses, jostled out of place when Kirche had pulled her up. She took the staff from his hands and stared at him for some time with her perpetually plain expression. "Apology accepted. No guarantee."

With that, the girl went to leave. Kirche had let go of her so she could take her staff and was now following her out. With her head peeking out from the doorway, she gave him a wink. "This isn't over, Louise. And I'll be seeing you, my love. Sweet dreams."

As the door was closing, Louise saw him exhale an exhausted sigh. "She simply doesn't get it, does she?"

"No, she doesn't and I can't tell if her friend does either. I'm certain they'll show up again sometime soon." Louise felt irritated at the thought. It wasn't too much to ask to be left alone, but people never really listened when you wanted them to the most.

" _Hmph, all she'd need is a cell phone or a camera…"_ It was under his breath, but she still caught it. Her ears were rather sharp even if everything else about her body left more to be desired.

"A cam-ra?" She had suddenly become interested in her familiar's past. He had avoided telling her anything and she didn't care, but now she found herself wondering who he was before they met. "Now that I think about it, _you_ haven't said anything about your past yet. Tell me about it."

She saw him move his eyes to look at her and held it for a while when she was startled yet again. "Well, if you wanna know that badly I'll tell ya! I can't say I remember much though, so you'll have to bear with me on that!"

She was livid. "Not you, you stupid piece of metal! I'm talking to Lelouch!" She'd kick it if it weren't a hunk of steel that'd hurt her foot if she did.

"Hey, what did I tell you about callin' me a piece of anything?!" Derflinger rattled around hard, like some struggling animal caught in someone's hands. "And wow, you actually called him by his actual name! Speaking of which, you too, partner! Keep me quiet for that long again and _your_ name's gonna be Lul-oomph!"

Lelouch had shoved the blade back into its sheath, jamming it hard enough to shut its weird mouthpiece with a loud clap. "If so, then you'll never speak again. Please control yourself because we're about to go sleep now. I'll let you talk when I can. That, I promise."

He began to walk towards his bed without saying another word, but she'd have to thank the sword even if she'd never say it out loud.

Because now she had a trump card.

"Halt, familiar." And he did, glancing at her again, stopped in his tracks. "You didn't answer to my order before your sword interrupted us." She'd relish this moment for all it was because she knew that she'd get a reaction out of him _this time_. "Please continue from where we left off."

"It's late, isn't it, master? I'm certain that there will be plenty of time another day to reflect on the past. We can talk about it then, but for now, goodnight."

"No, we will not." She wouldn't let him get away with avoiding her this time, at least without losing something. "You master is the one who says it's bedtime."

He frowned.

And she smiled.

"Isn't that right, _Lulu_?"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

 **Author's Notes:**

Heyo, Verrill here~ I hope you've all been well~

So.

You know what I think?

I think one of Lelouch's biggest weaknesses… is assertive women.

Maybe.

But aside from all of the jokes, I see that it's those kinds of characters that tend to get him all bothered on the inside and out. Some would consider Suzaku too, but let's not go there right now.

Such things make me think of Kirche who is also a character I liked, especially from what I know of her in the light novels about her being more of an insightful person under the hot passion that she is on the outside, out to help Louise in her own _uniquely assertive_ way.

It must also be mentioned that, however much I like the other characters, Tabitha is one of my favorites from the Familiar of Zero. Some things about her make me think of Lelouch. If you know of her past or have watched or read further in the official materials, you might be able to see what I'm talking about. It's a shame we don't know more about her until much later, or so it feels to me at least.

It's a chapter with many jokes too. I believe that the frequency of antics this world has in store for Lelouch could be rather stressful for him. Of course, at his expense, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed imagining and writing them. It's something I've always dreamed of and it's absolutely wonderful~

In the end, was interesting to write this chapter because, as Lelouch does here, I see his friends and family in the characters of Louise's world. Just about everyone has something I see in them that brings me back to someone in Lelouch's world. And, of course, that's why I'm here.

Thus, once again, thank you for your time.

Otherwise, take care~


	4. Stage Four: Her Name is Siesta

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage Four

Her Name is Siesta

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _It looks like they treated you rather roughly. Now you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you truly wish to bring change to this world, then join me!"_

 _-Zero_

" _Orange? That's an old question, but if you must know, Orange was a gift from my Lord that everyone misunderstands. Orange was and is no conspiracy. It was a part of his grand scheme that was bestowed upon me on that day and I regret nothing of it and, in all honesty, Your Highness, I would take nothing back."_

 _-Jeremiah Gottwald, Orange Farmer_

" _It was a simple assignment at first. I was to watch over the two young Lamperouges, as they were called at the time, the same as I had for the Ashfords. After so long though, I began to understand that Lelouch was no ordinary young man, even with the fact that he was a royal son of Britannia. When I learned of his 'extracurricular' activities, it somehow seemed natural to listen to him. To serve such a person felt like something an honor._

 _-Shinozaki Sayoko_

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch pursed his lips at the sound of his old nickname. It shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did, but he supposed that no one else should have been calling him that name by now. He thought he would have been more indifferent — it was but a name, after all — but perhaps it was because he now had the time to be pickier with the personal details of his life, Rebellion and Requiem now long behind him. Nobody had dared to call him by that affectionate title for ages and now it nipped at him because of the coincidental ramblings of a damn sword.

There was no use in asking her to think otherwise. Louise held a triumphant smirk on her face as if she had held the Sword of Damocles. A shame she was overestimating her hold over him, but he'd humor her, for now, to keep her satisfied at the least. He had given up worse before, no thanks to old friends and enemies alike.

He shifted to rest himself against the wall over his hay bedding and said, "So then, what do you wish to ask me?"

Her eyebrows flicked up at first, but then her lips grew thin and wide. "Finally given in, _Lulu_?"

"Enough with the name. Tell me what you want to know. Now." Right, it did bother him more than he thought.

She didn't look offended with his stern command, instead amused and reveling in the newfound power she lorded over him. She then put a hand on her chin, the other tossed over the elbow, and looked to the floor in thought. He waited.

Eventually, she settled herself on the edge of her bed. Her boisterous mood seemed to have evaporated as she viewed him with what could be called a nervous yet determined energy. "What's your family like?" she asked with some concern in her voice.

The Black Prince leaned his head to one side donning a questioning face. "My family?"

She gave him a few hard nods and he motioned for her to calm down. He saw that she was staring at him with an intensity greater than any attention she had given him before. Her mouth was curved down and he realized that she was asking not just because he had asked her the same earlier.

 _Hah, she acts like a child when she lets her guard down, but there's something else in there as well._ He let a rare smile slip out. "Are you worried that I miss my family?"

She averted her staring and half-muttered, half-stuttered a small "No."

The smile grew wider. "Well, if you must know, I do not."

Puzzled at his blunt tone, she asked, "You don't? And why would that be?"

Lelouch thought a moment about his next words.

"My father was a leader, my mother a great warrior, and my sisters and brothers took up much governing in the land we lived in." The girl in front of him scrunched up her eyebrows. "My family was a political one," he said, "steeped in the ways of the military and the court."

"Political?" Louise made a squeak and jumped in her seat. "Does that mean you're a noble?"

He quickly answered. "Not by your world's standards." He then made a stern face. "You may not believe it, but my world has none of the magic that is present here."

She shook her head and said, "A world with no magic cannot possibly exist. That's unbelievable!"

"Like when you summoned me?" He shrugged, unphased by her skepticism. "I had quite a time adjusting to the rules that govern this world of yours. You remember my odd questions, don't you? I believe I come from a place far away from here, Louise."

He saw her confusion and continued along. "Regardless of that, I may have been a member of the nobility, but that is no longer the case. I renounced any claim I had when I was a little boy."

"Huh?" She took a moment to process the new information. "I don't believe that. Why would any noble renounce their inheritance?"

"Because I was betrayed." Leftover resentment welled up for but a moment. "There was an assassination attempt on my mother. My little sister was with her. She tried protecting her until the guards arrived, but she died doing so."

"And your sister? Was she alright?" Louise was eating it all up, enraptured by the mix of truth and omission.

"If only. She was crippled from the knees down." The girl's breath hitched for a moment. "My father cared little for the whole affair and brushed it off as soon as he had heard it. Without any investigation on his part, it wasn't long before I declared my renouncement."

"Did you live on the streets then? That's cruel." Louise hung her head, troubled.

"It's all in the past now. No need to dwell on it too much. He never recognized it anyway." He stared at the hay beneath his legs. His face felt stiff again and he pursed his lips. "The only one who I would want to see again is my little sister. Her name is Nunnally. You could say that she was my reason for living after all that had happened."

"Your sister?" she said as she perked up again, "What happened to the both of you anyway?"

Lelouch placed his arms in front of him and tightly laced his hands together. "I'm sure you know what it means to be sent to a country on the verge of war."

The look on her face told him that she did. "We were bargaining tools and then we were thrown away, presumed dead after it was all over. Even then, despite what we went through, I wanted my sister to smile for as long as I could allow it. I left her with a friend I trust very much before I was brought here, so I'm quite certain that she's doing well enough without me."

"I see."

A quietness settled over the small noble for a moment. "What about you. What did you do for a living?"

"Me? Well let's see," said the Black Prince, "You could say that I was a commander of a group of knights. We fought for justice, and in the end, I think it was achieved. I have many memories of grand battles and perilous times. It brings me back, really, and I almost miss it too."

Louise casually crossed her arms. "You don't seem very commanderly to me. I'd think that you'd be stronger than you are now."

"We tended to rely more on firearms due to the lack of magic." He contemplated a moment. "We did have golem-like constructions as mounts, so there's that too."

She let out her trademark huff. "I thought something was weird about you. Even so after all this, how can I trust that what you've said is true?"

Another shrug. "You don't have to, but I assure you that I've told my story as it is. If you doubt me there's nothing I can do about it."

Silently judging him, "I'll trust you this time," she said, "but if I find out that your lying to me somehow, you're going to put for it, you got that?"

"Thank you, Louise." She squirmed somewhat under his sudden kind tone. He caught sight of the candle that lit the room and motioned for her to rest. "You should lie down now, at least, seeing how late it is. I can tell you some more exciting stories if you'd like as well."

The girl tucked herself into bed with the help of her familiar and nodded in silent agreement, her head poking out of the soft bundle of down.

"As you wish then." He seated himself at the edge of her bed and began, "Let's see now. There was one time, in a far off land, where there was a little princess who was to be married off to the crown prince of their enemy…"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Siesta was finishing up her work for the day. Normally she would have been looking forward to another good night's rest, but she couldn't keep her mind off of the troubles that she would carry by tomorrow. She had to sleep, but she didn't think it would be easy, worried for her future and wishing the next day would never have to come.

"Ah, perfect timing. How are you tonight, Siesta?"

"Oh, it's you, Lelouch." She stepped back once but eased herself when she saw him. "I'm well, but what are you doing out here so late?"

"I felt the need to speak to you about something rather important. Is there somewhere more private we can speak? Outside, perhaps."

He spoke as he usually did, but a light pink dusted her cheeks. "But of course. Please lead the way, Mr. Lamperouge."

"As I said before, Lelouch is fine." There it was again. The young man in front of her had such a disarming voice that it was almost too kind to believe. Being a servant, she was unused to anything like that from someone who seemed so unlike a commoner.

Yes, Lelouch was Miss Vallière's familiar, but there was something about the way he carried himself that told her he was anything but. There was a confidence that surrounded him that no lowborn should possess and she couldn't recall ever seeing him nervous or panicked, even in the face of his master or at his duel with Sir Gramont.

Following second gave her a clear look at him. His steps were measured and deliberate, his posture never bowing or slouching. He gave her the impression of a prince without his jewels. That, or she'd been reading one-too-many romances.

She almost ran into him when she noticed that he had stopped right outside of the main hall. He glanced around and had her follow him along the wall, close to the place where they had first met.

She waited for him to speak, a little too nervous to start the conversation herself. He must've noticed as he said, "There's no need to be uncomfortable. Unless that is if something is bothering you?"

"Oh, no, not at all. It's just that I can't help but wonder what you needed me for."

"Right. I wanted to ask you if you've seen these before." The young man pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket, unfolding it and handing it to her.

She took a close look at it. Though they were a little far from the lit halls of the Academy, she could faintly make out the writing on the sheet.

"This is…" It was but a moment before her heart skipped in recognition. She had seen these symbols before, but where had he seen them too?

"The symbols belong to a nation that I had lived in once." She knew her thoughts were written all over her face, but it still felt like he was reading her mind again, a little to her chagrin. "Tell me," he continued, "have you ever heard of a country known as Japan or Nihon?"

Siesta didn't know what to say. She didn't usually talk about her family's history, but there were also things that she had questions about. This could give her a chance to find out more, but she hesitated to take it.

"Siesta, I need to know where you've seen these before." His voice became firm. "Will you help me? Such information could mean life and death for someone like me."

"Oh, that's not fair, Lelouch! Just how can I say no if you say something like that?" She tossed the idea around in her head and gave in when she saw the determination in his eyes. "Oh, all right. I've seen these in a few places around my hometown, Tarbes. I believe they were left behind by an ancestor of mine, though I don't know why or what most of them mean."

"Most of them? Were you taught the language?"

"Well, yes, I suppose." She was wondering if this was all a good idea, as late as it was to back out now. It was a much weightier conversation than she had anticipated. "It's something that was passed down, but there was a lot that was lost along the way. As the oldest of my siblings, I was learning such things before I came to work here."

She could see the gears turn in his head as she explained. He met her eyes and said, "Take me to your hometown when there's a chance. I want to make some confirmations as soon as possible."

She flinched at his request. "I'd be welcome to, but unfortunately, I don't think that will be possible."

"But why not?" Something made her heart clench when she saw how puzzled he was. Funny that the first time she'd see that face would be because of her.

"I didn't want to tell you, mainly because I didn't want to leave on such a sad note." A cold breeze blew by and she could no longer ignore the chill, hugging herself to help stave off the uncomfortableness. "You see, the royal messenger, Count Mott, had come by earlier. I've been asked to enter his service tomorrow morning."

"That wouldn't be for your _wonderful_ service in the kitchens here, would it?" He immediately scoffed, his eyes narrowed, and his smile turned thin. Of all things she was frightened and, knowing him, she knew he'd be up to something again. What troubled her most was that he hadn't bothered to hide it at all.

He then turned around, his head facing the side. "We can't have that now, can we? Wait for me tomorrow morning. I have to get some things prepared, for now, so goodnight Siesta." Before she could say anything more, he began to walk off, making his way into the halls and out of sight.

The maid, on the other hand, could only worry as she returned to her chambers. _Oh no, he's planning something, isn't he? It's going to be something dangerous again, isn't it? Ah, Lelouch, why must you give me so many bad feelings about this!?_ In spite of this, however, she still couldn't help but feel a bit of happiness well up inside of her chest. She had someone who she could rely on and, hopefully, someone who wouldn't stir too much trouble for it.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Guiche liked Louise's familiar, but to wake him and drag him through the halls when he should be getting his beauty rest was a bit much. "Lelouch, why in Brimir's name should you need me at this hour?"

Still leading the noble, he said, "There's a fair maiden that needs rescuing and I'll need your help."

 _A fair maiden he says? He hasn't yet shown any interest in women until now. Perhaps this will be worth the inquiry._ With these thoughts in mind, Guiche blinked out his sleepiness and continued. "Where are we going anyway. Isn't your room over there?"

"That's because there's another person whom I'd like to invite." Stopping short of the Vallière's door, he came upon the next one and knocked.

A faint, singsong "Who is it?" came from the other side of the door. Guiche recognized where they were now, having heard about the ruckus that the tiny noble and her neighbor caused on a regular basis. "Kirche von Zerbst? Really?"

"Is there a problem with that? Of all people I thought you two would understand each other with your 'passions' and whatnot."

Guiche cleared his throat. "Well, I wouldn't say it's as simple as that. She and I have differing ideas of love. I take it that she enjoys the physical conquest whereas I seek the affection and admiration of many."

The door opened briefly after Guiche had finished. Kirche was surprisingly in more moderate bedclothes than he thought she would. He recalled a more see-through piece being mentioned by one of his other acquaintances. Not that he was interested. Mostly.

"Now Guiche, if you put it that way, then I have the moral high ground. You seek those shallow charms whereas I seek the greatest pleasures from the hottest of flames." That smirk of hers made him feel somewhat miffed. They never really spoke to each other, much less understood. "And Lelouch, how good it is to see you. I was about to invite you to my bedchambers again tonight. What brings you and this fop here?"

Before Guiche could retort, Lelouch said, "I come here asking for a favor as I will of Sir Gramont here. I'd like to speak inside your room, that is, if you don't mind."

"Certainly. After all, it's not the first time I've invited two boys at once. Come inside, you two."

The three of them settled themselves inside Kirche's room. The boy and his friend stood to one side while the girl rested on her bed.

"I'm sure you know that I'm not here to woo you and I apologize for that, but there is a more urgent matter that currently requires my attention. I'd like to ask for your assistance because I believe you would be well suited to the task and will find much to gain from it."

"Hmm, that's quite interesting, as is the usual with you, my love."

 _The usual indeed._ This conversation made Guiche think of the time Louise's familiar had plotted against him. It also made him wonder if the commoner had thought of something equally as outrageous.

"I can see that you're amused," the young man continued, "If you've enjoyed my behavior so far, then I'm sure you'll find what I have planned quite entertaining."

The Gramont couldn't help himself and said, "Do tell us what exactly what it is that we're doing. There can't be much of an agreement if we don't know at least that. And also, how do we know this isn't going to get _us_ into any trouble?"

Lelouch glanced back at his companion. "This will come at no risk to either of you. That I guarantee. For this, I only ask for your patronage. And now that I have your interest, allow me to explain."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Guiche felt troubled even as he was wearing some of his better garbs. As the trip was after classes, he had to postpone a date with his dear Monmon. Second thoughts had risen gradually ever since the night before. "I still feel like this is going to get us into trouble."

"Oh hush, Guiche. It's far too late for you to back out now anyway." Kirche had donned a flattering dress, fitting of her passionate form. "And place that crate in the back with those valkyries of yours, would you?"

"And why my valkyries? Can't we have someone else do it?"

"And why should we? We had them carry it down here and, unfortunately, I don't see either of you capable of performing the same feat on your lonesome, or together for that matter. Besides, it's the least you could do."

Guiche was about to retort when Lelouch called out to them. "Let's wrap things up you two. We will be departing shortly." He had approached them wearing dark a cape over the clothes he usually wore. Something odd to the noble boy was the commoner's need to wear a mask. At Kirche's insistence, Guiche let him borrow one. It was the kind meant for a masquerade at a ball, purple, feathered, and flamboyant.

The girl gave a pleased huff. "Shall we be off then? It's no good to keep others waiting now, Sir Gramont."

"Alright, I'll do it then." He motioned for his constructs to load the rest of their things as the others boarded the carriage, following soon after dismissing them back to the earth.

He seated himself next to Lelouch and was opposite to Kirche who was the first to break into a conversation.

"So, who might this damsel be, _sir_? You've explained very little and we've been very good listeners so far. At least tell us who exactly we're rescuing now."

"I agree." Guiche turned to the masked man. "Tell us, who is it that needs our help?"

With a candid flatness, "A maid by the name of Siesta," said he.

" _What?_ Do you mean one from the Academy? I understand if you took a fancy to her, but to go so far for but a servant girl?" The noble turned thoughts over in his head and concluded that she must be a great beauty, though if that were true he would've noticed sooner.

"And I am a mere familiar, am I not?" With legs crossed over, he set both of his hands on his knee. "I, like Germanians, do not believe that birth determines one's worth, commoner or noble. Even you, Sir Gramont, fall under this idea. By that, I mean that I'm certain that you'll be more capable than your brothers with time, amongst other things."

Guiche felt flattered, even if he had doubts with his hopes. Few truly believed that he would become great, fewer voiced it unless they were friends of his. He would take it anyway. More praise never hurt.

"Quite the smooth talker, aren't you, my dear?" said Kirche. She giggled and leaned forward, giving the noble boy an admittedly difficult time averting his gaze. He managed to pull his eyes away to see how his companion was faring.

The mask, however, made him unreadable. "I merely speak the truth here, Miss Zerbst. And the truth, if Siesta wishes to tell it, may matter to me very much."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

The guards had led Lelouch and his friends into the estate of Count Mott once they relayed his message to them. Though there was a party currently underway, they were still let in, much to Guiche's discomfort.

"I hope you know what you're doing Lelouch. Any trouble will only be magnified by who knows who's in there."

"Worry not my friend. All will go according to plan." Lelouch remained unconcerned. If even some of the rumors about the Count held true, then Lelouch had a good idea of the person he was to deal with.

After they advanced to the second floor, they entered a library. As soon as the doors opened there were as many words in the air as there were on the shelves.

"So, what _children_ have decided to grace us with their presence?" The slight didn't go unnoticed and a chuckle came out at the new group's expense.

"Allow me to make the introduction." He brought one arm out at full length. "To my right is Guiche de Gramont, fourth son of Marshall Gramont." Then, his other. "And to my left is Kirche Von Anhalt-Zerbst of Germania."

Kirche smiled. "Aww, you remembered my full name, dear. How sweet."

"But of course. It would be rude of me not to." The masked man lowered his arms and paused.

"Gramont and Zerbst? Interesting, very interesting." Then Mott scoffed. "And who are you? What is your name? I don't ever recall making this a _bal masquè_ , so why hide your face?"

Lelouch was waiting for this moment. Though his audience was small, he still felt the need to re-establish himself anew. " _An old habit,"_ he thought.

"Who I am is not important, but if you must call me something, then call me," he said as he swung his arms out wide and flung his cape wide, "the Familiar of Zero!"

Immediately Guiche protested, albeit in a whisper, "Hey, wait, are you certain you want to be calling yourself that?"

The masked man's display was met with laughter, the loudest of them being Count Mott. "Is this a joke? Who claims to be a familiar with such gusto?"

"That would be the familiar of Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, third daughter to Duke Vallière. I've come to introduce myself and inform you of my intentions." He lifted his hand palm-up to the crowd in from of him. "Care to take a chance, Count Mott?"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Kirche and Guiche stood off to one side of the table as the chessboard was being set. Kirche watched with anticipation, but she couldn't say the same for Guiche.

"Are you sure about letting him gamble your things away? And still all for some maid?" whispered Guiche.

"Once again, it's much too late to be asking now." She shrugged. "And besides, those things are simply gifts for suitors, from my family, that I have no use for. Passion must be made with action, not gestures."

"Remind me of their difference again?"

"Never mind that. Look."

Kirche pointed her chin to the match in front of them. Every clack of crystal between Count Mott and his youthful opponent signaled another step towards the end of their game, the sound of the pieces barely registering above the bubbling drink and chatter of the nobleman's party. A few others watched on with curiosity and the middle-aged noble leaned back after another move, appearing satisfied with his play so far.

"Had enough yet? You carried such confidence that I had almost thought you would be more of a challenge. Tell me, familiar, what made you think you could test me?"

Kirche watched Lelouch's next words. "I came here because you have something that I need."

"What, more coin? You're not going to win any at this rate, boy, and there are certainly better ways to get it."

"That is correct, Count Mott. I am here for something more… _interesting_." He crossed his legs, his posture at ease. "How about we raise the stakes beyond mere gold?"

 _This_ is what she had come for. An opportunity to see one of her dear's fascinating schemes up close. He had scarcely told them a thing before coming here and they had little reason to put such faith in him, but her curiosity was greater. She pushed Guiche to come along too, despite his misgivings, just so that he'd have all that he needed to proceed. It's was something about the way he carried himself. He'd definitely done this before and, while his pretty-boy looks weren't exactly her type, he was so much manliest than anyone she'd seen. It was confidence backed by something mysteriously powerful.

"I am aware that I agreed to your little wager but this is no Romalin casino. I'm not about to gamble the things away in my own house."

"I wonder if you'll change your mind once I show you the gifts I've brought." At that, Lelouch signaled to Guiche to have the chest opened. Inside were pieces of fine jewelry, a rare heirloom book of the Zerbst family, and a Germainian sword that he insisted he should use to get her goods higher than its value, all neatly folded and tucked away. How he would obtain more than 3000 new gold for a showpiece — though it was bought at a _generous_ discount — was beyond her. A shame he wouldn't keep it, but daring nonetheless.

He continued. "The wager is simple. If you win I will give you all the contents of this victory chest, no strings attached. However, if I win then a trade of fair value is to be made. I've been notified of a few things in your possession that have caught my interest and I hope you will be inclined to accept."

The count crossed his hands together, leaning forward. "Hmph, I've little to lose so I'll accept your offer."

Kirche crossed her arms. The count could have insisted that the chest was for him without the wager, they being sudden guests of his. Of course, Lelouch hadn't said so much. There had to be something the count wanted in there. What exactly it was she didn't know, at least not for certain.

The mask advanced his queen piece. "Your move then, Count Mott."

And so the clash of their miniature armies continued rather quietly. She was unfamiliar with how chess worked — not exactly the most stimulating of hobbies — so her prior excitement was left to only smolder. Presuming it would take a while, she decided to wander around the room.

As she paced herself around the edges, she noticed the vast quantity of books that Mott had. He seemed well-read for someone so distasteful, that is until she saw his erotica selection. Boring _and_ gross. Guiche turned up as well, probably to complain of something again.

"Kirche, you must come and see what is happening." He had a stern look on his face for once. It didn't fit him. "It's Lelouch. He's winning."

Already coming to a head? Her interest was immediately renewed. "Is that so? But why do you look so vexed then?"

"I played against him once some time ago. He must've held back because I'm certain I couldn't win if I were in the position he was in before you had left. But nevermind that, as of right now he's insanely capable."

She almost wished she understood a bit more, but too little too late. They advanced to a spot in the circle of people spectating the game only to see that it was over.

"This is checkmate, My Lord, and I must say that this was a wonderful exercise."

The nobleman looked disgruntled, perhaps even angry, but he didn't express it very much. " _Fine_ familiar. I have been bested and a deal is a deal. What might you want to trade for then?"

"We can settle the terms of our match after the party is over if you will. There may be some things that we'd like to discuss with the advantage of privacy."

As the two men got up to shake hands, the Zerbst's ears caught wind of the new rumors that surrounded her masked man. There was intrigue, mystery, questions that roused only more questions, and no doubt that he'd be the talk of the nobility once things were over. She realized that this was a part of his goal all along, making her even more curious about him. And of course, she would like to make her own rumors too.

"Darling," she said, hugging his arm into her assets, "I knew I could trust you to bring home victory. Now, I should reward you somehow, shouldn't I?"

She gave him a yearning look. He cleared his throat. "I'll have to pass. For the moment, it seems that I have much small talk to fulfill. If you'll excuse me kindly."

She let him go without a fuss and watched him chat up the crowd. She knew there was more to him than he let on, but what he was already attempting told her that he was special. The next thing to do was to make her special to him.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

When Siesta had arrived in the morning, she was already resigned to her new fate. A life with the Count would have been unpleasant, but she could still provide for her family at the least. Getting dressed, she expected something a bit more risqué, but perhaps he had wanted her for the appearance she held at the Academy.

There was a knock on the door. "You may come now, maid," said the Count. Stepping out, she was stopped in the doorway by the sight before her.

"Her name is Siesta, Count Mott, and I'd like to request it to stay that way."

"And the book?"

"It is yours to do with as you please."

Looking around, the girl spotted Sir Gramont and Lady Zerbst by his side. She was confused, but only one idea came to mind. _Thank Brimir, he's come to save me, hasn't he? Oh, I hope there isn't too much trouble brewing. Goodness, what am I supposed to say?_

Lelouch seemed to recoil somewhat and she rushed over to help him stay up. He may have been wearing a mask, but it couldn't have been anyone but him.

"Are you okay Lel-? Ah, no, sir?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing really."

"Is it about that book you just gave away?" said Kirche. "You don't read that drivel darling, do you? And instead of reading of such events, wouldn't you say participating in them is far more exciting?"

That made her puzzled. She only noticed how uninvolved Count Mott was just then and her eyes caught sight of what he was holding in his hands.

She averted her eyes and blushed. It was more erotic than the fantasies she read.

"No. No, that's not what this is about. For all I care, he can keep it. I'm simply surprised that this kind of book was the so-called 'rare tome' that was in your possession." His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. "Tell me, how did your family obtain such a thing?"

"My grandfather summoned it some decades ago. Apparently, he couldn't reproduce the effect again, so this is all he got out of that experiment of his."

"Ah, I see."

Though everything seemed rather dreamlike overall, she could swear she didn't imagine him heave a sigh again. Hoping it wouldn't become a habit, she assumed it was about the book. Did he like voluptuous women? Siesta blushed once more at the thought.

He shook himself. "Well, we should be taking our leave then. A pleasure doing business with you, Count Mott."

"Yes, yes, I'd like to enjoy this alone now. Do leave."

"Without question."

With that, the guards guided them to the front gate. Siesta, filled to the brim with questions, didn't know where to start. All she knew was that she'd be forever grateful that she could go back to the Academy.

"So, now that it's all clear, what did you all think of our little mission?"

The fire mage was the first to speak up. "I think it was fascinating. The way you played that crowd was _so_ charming I've fallen in love with you all over again."

"Well, I think it was quite the risk." The blonde crossed his arms. "We're lucky we got out of there without causing an uproar. I'm surprised he tolerated you as much as he did."

"I've dealt with his kind before. He wouldn't do anything too rash with the both of you there. The other nobles who attended only further assured that. I must thank you for assisting me with what I was able to obtain, save for a few things I required."

Kirche smiled wide and Guiche shook his head in resignation.

Reaching the carriage, the two students boarded before the familiar and the maid. He waited until she walked up to his side and said, "It won't be as fabulous a pay as what the Count could give you, but I don't suppose you'll mind very much."

"It's quite alright, Mr. Lamperouge. The Academy's always paid me well enough, so I'll be okay."

"Hmph, hardly what I meant. And didn't I tell you that just Lelouch is fine?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't understand. What did you mean by that then?" Another moment of silence from him. "Lelouch?"

"You'll be working for me now, at least partially if you choose to go back to working for the academy as well," he said, still facing the horizon, "I admit that I have things that I need to know from you, other motives so to speak, but I also value our relationship. I believe you are earnest, trustworthy, and good-willed. Do you understand what I'm asking of you?"

She was taken aback. He couldn't be seriously saying what she thought he was saying?

"I am asking you for your service and, if possible, your loyalty as well." Immediately she felt like she was staring at some imposing figure, the kind of person who wielded power as naturally as they breathed. Whether that impression was like a charming prince's or handsome villain's she couldn't quite pin down, though the distinction didn't matter to the heroines of the tales she read. "So, Siesta de Tarbes, will you accept this contract of mine?"

"Hey you two," interrupted the red noble, "I'd rather not have to sleep in the carriage overnight with loverboy here." Siesta could see her leaning out of the side of their ride wearing a few of the new pieces of jewelry from the trade.

"Looks like we've kept them waiting. Let's be on our way then. I won't ask you to answer immediately, so I'll let you consider it for a while until then, Siesta."

Her sight was glued to his back for a minute. She felt her face heat up ever so slightly, magnified by the afternoon's cool breeze. She smiled.

 _That isn't fair of you at all, Master Lelouch._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

"You did _what_!"

As Lelouch was explaining how he got his hands on so many new things without robbing some poor noble, Louise fired off on him more harshly than he'd expected. He expected some upset so he waited until she was finished letting out her steam.

"First, I couldn't find you all day no matter where I looked. Second, when I hear again from you it's this late at night. Third, you tell me that you gambled uninvited to a party of Count Mott's with Guiche and Kirche of all people. And last, you got yourself a maid, you horny dog!"

While she huffed and tried to regain her composure, he intervened. "You're missing the point I'm trying to make here, Louise. Everything went according to a plan and everyone was able to get something out of it."

"And what exactly did I get out of you almost getting into trouble with another noble!?" She puffed her cheeks. Intimidating.

"Well allow me to show you then." He strolled over to the corner of the room by his straw bedding and reached into a bag. Out of it he pulled a silk drawstring satchel and tossed it at her. She caught it in her hands, fidgeting with it before opening it up.

"I heard that you favor pearls. I made sure to pick the best that I could. If Mott had anything going for him, it was his taste in opulence."

He watched her pour the contents into her hand. Pearl necklace and bracelet fell between her fingers. While she was examining them, he continued.

"I was also able to obtain some new gold coin, a few more luxuries, and other tools for our use. I hope you won't be too mindful of a few weapons I was able to procure."

Derflinger popped out of his scabbard. "And whaddya need besides good ol' me, hah?"

"Something to supplement you with is all. It's not another blade if that's what you're worried about. Distance and spacing are great tools in combat and a well-versed sword like you would be rather aware of that, wouldn't you?"

The sword grumbled but didn't say anything more. Lelouch checked back with Louise and saw her in her reflection wearing one of the white strings around her wrist. He picked up the necklace left on the dresser's edge. "May I?"

She lifted her hair up and he fastened the latch around her neck. The small but heavy orbs clacked as they settled on the pink collar of her nightgown and under her hair. She stared without expression. "Lelouch?"

"Yes, Louise?"

"You're stupid."

"Certainly."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Hi there, Verrill here~ I hope all of you have been well~

I'm sure many of you have waited a while since I last wrote, if I may be so arrogant as to assume. For that, I must apologize.

My pause has been made to consider what my goal is in writing this story. I had realized that the task was gargantuan in scope and would take a large amount of my time if I was to ever see this to its end, so I had postponed it for other projects.

And yet I now resolve to continue.

I also recently had the chance to watch the Code Geass AU movies and it has compelled me to throw my hand in once more. Though I also wish to write my own stories, this is one I cannot seem to leave behind.

Once again, thank you for your time. Favorite, follow, and whatnot.

Otherwise, take care~


	5. Stage Five: The Princess and the Emperor

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage Five

The Princess and the Emperor

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _Outta the way, please! Look out below!"_

 _-Euphie_

" _You've investigated it a lot in the short time you've had it."_

 _-C.C._

" _Sloppy. Senile. Corrupt. Where is Zero?! I want the enemy of the Empire caught. Get Zero!"_

 _-Cornelia li Britannia, second princess of the Britannian Imperial Family_

" _Well, funny thing about that, Your Highness. Suzaku and the late Princess Euphemia had met on accident, or so we had pieced together from what little they told us amongst other research. And I have to say, it was quite the surprise, really~!"_

 _-Earl Lloyd Asplund, Knightmare Frame Specialist for the Royal Army of Britannia_

" _In the beginning, I didn't think we'd ever be friends. He was a Britannian prince and I was the son of the Prime Minister of Japan. While some might call me a little dense, I knew that our respective homelands didn't exactly get along. It was tough making peace with him, but it happened somehow. I think I have his sister to thank for that. Meeting him again after so long, it only seemed natural to still call him a friend."_

 _-Kururugi Suzaku, Zero of the Black Knights_

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

It had been a day since Lelouch's return and Louise had somewhat forgiven him for his mischief, but at the current moment, she was frustrated once more. He left a note that told her he had gone out to town to collect a few things, no doubt with a small stash, and only a day before the exhibition for new familiars! And while she didn't feel for Count Mott in the slightest, he was a noble and the fool was a commoner. Any such altercation was unacceptable, so how exactly he got away with it she couldn't fathom. She would ask Siesta what had happened when she found her.

It was improper to wear jewelry to class, but she felt the bracelet underneath her sleeve, having decided to wear it anyway. Despite her less-than-glowing opinion of him and his beyond incredulous plots, she'd come to feel that he was reliable in at least some way. He hadn't gotten into too much trouble yet and he resolved his problems on his own terms too, somehow even convincing the ever selfish Guiche and that bastard Kirche to willingly go with him. Perhaps he'd gone to prepare for the talent show too. She mentioned it to him after all. The only thing she wished for was that he'd stop pestering nobility with his ideas. She'd be far more at ease then.

She looked around her room to review the other things he had brought. For himself some light steel armor and pistols with leather holders for them, taken with him on his "procuring of necessities" as he called it. He obtained the two pearl accessories, some supplies for her education, and other luxuries the Count was glad enough to part with, all to appease her, irritating in its own way. It was such an obvious apology gift, but she felt better despite her misgivings. Absolutely irritating.

Hearing a knock on the door, she turned to see the person in question return.

"So, what have you been up to?"

"It's for the talent show." Good, she thought. "It's something of a surprise, and I'm sure you'll be pleased with it."

"And how should I know if I'll be pleased or not if I don't know what it even is? You wouldn't be playing chess with anyone, would you?"

"No, I won't, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you now, would it?"

 _That's_ what pissed her off the most. "What's with you?" Louise threw her arms up and raised her voice. "You never tell me about anything you're doing!"

Once she laid her eyes on her familiar again, she noticed that her little outburst actually made him hesitate.

She continued with an indoor voice, albeit no less stern. "We may have shared our pasts with one another, but you've told me nothing to do with the present. How can I trust you if I don't even know what you're up to? You're like a goddamn stranger!"

"You mean like a servant?"

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I feel like we're on the wrong page here. Louise, you and I have a master-servant relationship, do we not?"

"And? What about it?"

"Such a relationship requires that I be polite and productive, not personal, so why want anything beyond that?"

She felt like showing him the riding crop. "Did the other day mean _nothing_ to you? You've only looked at me like a stranger ever since we've met, save for that day. You go off and do outrageous things without ever telling me. It's like you don't trust me and that's infuriating!"

He held his palm up to her face. She smacked it out of the way and had a sudden want to strangle him. Hard.

"You want to be my friend."

"And who want to be friends with an aloof idiot like you?"

He inhaled, exhaled, and walked to the windowsill to lean against its edge. "I see. I've neglected you for quite a while, haven't I?"

A huff. "I'll say. It's about time I finally got through to you."

And he laughed. "Is that so?"

"Yes it is, so what's so funny?"

"Nothing of importance, I assure you."

Her cheeks blew up. "What did we just talk about Lelouch?"

A knock on the door, however, interrupted her fuming train of thought. "Master Lelouch? It's me, Siesta. I've brought the things you've requested."

"Perfect timing." He picked up his bag and moved to the exit. "Then allow me to involve you in something else, Louise."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Miss Longueville was reading the most recent report of the exhibition's preparations to Old Osmond, the headmaster of the Academy. Airhead though he seemed, she couldn't let her guard down around him, but for the wrong reasons. In reality, he was still skilled but was legitimately an old pervert who liked to peek up the skirts of secretaries like her with the sight of his damned mouse, Motsognir. It was no wonder that she had obtained the job so easily.

And speaking of the devil, the pest was at her feet. She stomped and made sure to only scare it and not hurt it, but knowing the cunning old fart she couldn't even if she tried. Looking up, the mouse was already at his shoulder, their whispers still loud enough to pick up. A sharp person she was and an angry one she'd be too, proceeding to thrash him with her papers. The fact that it didn't seem to phase him much only maddened her more.

Returning to her desk, she went over the days ahead. The country's princess was coming to this year's little talent show and thus the Academy's security had to be shifted around to accommodate. She was certain that they'd have to thin out their resources and leave vulnerabilities in usually tightly guarded areas. Still, she wanted to make sure with Professor Colbert that such would be the case. Success was in the preparation. After all…

A thief couldn't be too careful.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

A stroll outside quickly showed Lelouch the status of his competition. He assumed that the most impressive would be Lady Tabitha and her dragon, quite literally soaring above the rest of the competition, though he only saw her reading as usual. Then it was arguably Kirche and Flame with a well-controlled, intense display of fire. Others included Montmorency and her frog and Guiche who was simply posturing with Verdandi. They almost weren't worth the thought, much less of the rest of the participants.

Louise and Siesta followed him to a less crowded area, the latter carrying supplies necessary for his tests.

"Here we are. Siesta? Lay them out here."

As she was laying out the materials, Louise asked, "And what's all this for? I can't see much of an act with all of that random junk you have spread out there."

"Oh? There's aren't for me; I've already perfected my act. These are for you."

She spat out a derisive "Huh?!" when Siesta interrupted whatever she was going to say.

"Master Lelouch, everything's ready now. I've laid everything out as you've instructed."

"Very good." He then turned to Louise, still looking very much displeased by his earlier statement. _Siesta still insists on calling me "Master Lelouch" no matter what I say otherwise. Reminds me of Sayoko a bit._

The little mage crossed her arms. "Care to explain, Lelouch?"

"Why certainly." He gestured to the items on the floor. "These objects will help me take an inventory of your magical abilities."

"You're not still on about that, are you darling?" Kirche had strolled up to them, her salamander following by her side. "You know she has no reputation for magic, don't you? So why waste your brilliant mind with little Louise here?"

Knowing that his partner was about to blow her top, he intervened with haste. "She summoned me, did she not?" That did the trick as all eyes were on him now, the attention of other practitioners drawn to the commotion as well. "And for the last time Kirche, have peace or nothing at all."

Unphased, she shrugged. "Whatever you say, sweetheart." She stepped away. "Looks like you've got your familiar's loyalty at least, Louise," she said, returning to her routine.

His lips bent slightly and he looked to see Louise also in a dour mood. "Perhaps she's right. I hate it though. Everything I do ends in an explosion that messes everything up."

"And that's exactly what we're going to utilize."

He saw the confusion on their faces. "Allow me to explain. I've been to enough of your classes to have a basic understanding of your magic and the explosions that result from them. They're absurdly loud, enough so to be heard across the academy from indoors. They tear larger objects into pieces and obliterate smaller objects into nothing. They're always accompanied by a massive amount of smoke-like debris and have a surprisingly non-lethal, concussive effect. Also, the longer the incantation or the stronger you feel, the greater its strength."

She was getting testy again, but her reactions now were far better than her brittle temper before. It was time to move on. "There's just a few things I'd like to confirm."

She grumbled but didn't protest. He and Siesta began to set up the perimeter. They hammered stakes into the ground at intervals from where they stood. This resulted in a large grid measured by meters.

Eventually, a good portion of the field was covered. "Good. This will be our testing ground. Now then." He picked up some thin posts and thrust them into the ground, each with a different item fastened to it. "Louise, aim for the closest one with your explosion."

Silence.

"You want to become stronger, don't you?"

"Fine." She raised her wand and brought it down just as quickly, shouting, "Explosion!" and a deafening crash came immediately. The wooden target was no more. Splinters and chunks could be seen flying into the air and the former Emperor instructed her to do the same to the next nearest victim.

 _Interesting. One word and detonation occurs almost instantly. Travel time between targets is indistinguishable. Accuracy starts to deteriorate at mid-range targets, but the blast is consistent and the smoke is still effective. Now for something else._

He tossed a cabbage at her. "Louise, think fast!"

She turned mid-casting and shot her wand at the projectile. Smoke obscured his view but he could hear a yelp and a thud loud and clear.

 _Reaction time is abysmal. She also seems to aim at an area rather than-_ His thoughts were interrupted with an impact to the head. He surmised that she had thrown the vegetable.

"What the hell was that for!? That scared me, you idiot!" A vehement pout. Not the worst.

"I apologize and I promise I won't attempt it again." He brushed the grass off of his pants as Siesta cleared out the debris. His face hurt a bit, but he'd let it slide this time. "Let's move on. The furthest target if you will, Louise, and with power too."

A huff and she turned away from him towards the last target, a magic shield far away by the Academy's outer wall. It wasn't cheap, but he wouldn't tell her that, it being difficult to elaborate on the nuances of gambling for profit.

This time she chanted for much longer than usual, an unrecognizable chain of words spilling from her lips. Another flick and nothing happened.

"Is it dela-" and his words were cut off by a deafening roar. The blast had caught everyone off guard. Even the others minding their own business had covered their ears.

"Goodness, Louise," piped up Kirche, "now that's a bit much, even for you."

"Master Lelouch, look!"

At the maid's distress, they advanced as the dust cleared. He peered into the cloud and felt disbelief. And so he smiled.

"This is amazing," he said.

"No, this is horrible!" she said, "Just what am I supposed to do? I missed and now the Academy has a giant hole in it!"

Lelouch paid little attention to her anguished cries. His eyes were glued to the hole in the wall, large enough for a person to step through. It wasn't so bad, but it would take some explaining to do. Something along the lines of "Accidentally punching through an old, heavily enchanted wall while practicing magic with her familiar" should do it.

Louise, on the other hand, was still panicking. "LELLOOUUUUUUCH!"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Henrietta snuck through the halls of the Academy. It was easy enough considering her time with Anges and the royal guard. Even now she was roaming about without their permission, much like her younger days with an old friend of hers.

She made sure not to disturb a soul as she swiftly paced up the stairs to where she knew the room was. It wasn't hard to figure out — she was the princess after all — and she had to see her friend after catching that familiar smile of hers in the crowd that surrounded the arrival.

She only hoped that it wasn't too late. It'd be rude to wake her up at such an hour, but really she couldn't wait. After a knock on the door, it opened to reveal a person she didn't recognize. Was she in the wrong tower? Or was this her lover?

"May I help you?"

She snapped back to reality and was about to answer him when she caught a glimpse of a familiar color.

Pink.

A rush of old memories came to her. Thinking of their days as playmates almost brought tears to her eyes and she couldn't help herself any longer.

"Louise Françoise!" She made sure to close the door behind her and dashed into the girl, hugging more tightly than she had in what felt like forever. "It's been far too long my friend."

"Your Highness?" Although she was happy to see Louise, it hurt a little that her best friend would call her by title rather than by name. She supposed it couldn't be helped. It had been years since they last saw each other and their lives were now leagues apart. "What are you doing here?"

She let Louise go but still sat close. "I'm here because I wanted to see a dear old friend of mine."

The girl tilted her head. "And who might that be?"

"She means you of course," said the young man, leaning against the wall with a pile of hay. She'd been so excited to have seen Louise that she forgot he was there.

"My apologies," she said, standing up to curtsy, "Henrietta de Tristain, and who might you be?"

He bowed likewise. "Lelouch Lamperouge, familiar to Louise de la Vallière, at your service."

"A pleasure, Lelouch de Lamperouge." That surprised her. Humans weren't usually summoned and Louise didn't jump to deny it, which could only mean that the rumors were true. "So, that makes you the infamous 'Familiar of Zero' that I've heard so much about?"

"Familiar of _what_?" Louise's face drained of color, much to Henrietta's confusion.

"Oh?" His face lit up and his lips curved. "Word travels quickly then."

Louise, however, lamented. "What did I do to deserve this? I thought that name only traveled around the Academy. Princess, whatever they're saying about us isn't true at all!"

Henrietta giggled. "You mean like the one where your familiar is a great intellectual that could beat the likes of the well-learned Count Mott?"

Another tilt, this one even more sideways than the last. "Count Mott? But he's nothing that special. What's the big deal about Lelouch beating him at a game?"

Another laugh bubbled up from her throat. She certainly missed the surprise and puzzlement that often graced Louise, especially when it came to more nuanced ideas. It was refreshing how straightforward she could be compared to the other girls in the court. "No, he's not that impressive, but losing to a mere familiar or servant is even less so. I assume he must've exaggerated his encounter with your companion here, but in any myth there lies some truth and I admit that even I was as curious as the rest of the palace."

"That is good to hear then, princess. It is my hope to help Louise in any way I can." He bowed once again. "I'll take a brief stroll so that you two can reminisce."

"Why thank you, fair familiar." Now it was time to talk. She held her old playmate's hands. "There is so much to catch up on yet so little time. May we speak for a while, Louise?"

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Lelouch waited outside with Derflinger looking over the sword's features. When he went into the city he spent a pretty penny to get it thoroughly cleaned. Lelouch would have done it himself but his arm strength was never the best, so he left it to a skilled craftsman to do the job. Such a task was more suited to Suzaku. The White Knight would probably have enjoyed it too.

"Admiring the work? Lemme tell ya, I felt like a king with all that scrub and polish."

"You're welcome, Derf."

"Likewise, partner."

To Lelouch's surprise, their relationship had become much smoother than he had predicted. The sword was to be silent around new people and those who didn't know about his intelligence, but otherwise was allowed to talk freely, terms he seemed to be at least okay with.

"Y'know, you'd think that that master of yours would've mentioned that the princess of the country liked her so much. I know those Vallières are pretty high up the ladder and all, but sneaking away just to meet her for a night? Sounds kinda romantic, don't cha think? Eh? Eh?"

"Never say that in Louise's presence, though I must say, it does remind me of another pinkette I knew." Lelouch too reflected on the past. _Lloyd mentioned it once. Euphie certainly would've enjoyed a place like this._ He then thought back to the sword's statement. "She probably attaches high importance to status, but I can personally attest to how that can interfere with any lasting friendship."

"Well, wouldn't you know, eavesdropping on two young girls!" But before he could tease anything more, the blade clapped itself back into hiding. He heard the door open next to him and saw the princess saying her goodbyes.

After shutting the door, she noticed him too. "Ah, I may have overstayed my welcome. If my captain, Anges, gets word of my disappearance, I won't be able to hear the end of her lecturing for a good week. This was all still very much worth it though, the most fun I've had in years."

In spite of the rush she was in, the Black Prince observed a bright smile plastered onto her face. "It must be stressful, being thrust into a position that was never of your choosing, pretending to be something, or rather, someone else."

She stared at him for a second and blinked a few times. "Why yes, you know that feeling?" She paused to think again. "Well, don't be too harsh on Louise. She may be severe at times, but she's a good person at heart."

"But of course she's no tyrant, just inexperienced," he said, waving her comment off, then making an Ashford smile and a slight bow. "In any case, I wish you a good night, Miss Henrietta, and may your trip back remain undetected."

She gave him a look again but laughed a little. "You're a strange one, aren't you? In any case, it was a pleasure to meet you and to see my dear Louise again. I trust that she will be in your care where I cannot. And promise me to do your best tomorrow."

"Without question." He gave a small nod and watched the young lady scurry down the hall and disappear down the stairs. To get past her guards she must've had either loyal individuals or a knack for sneaking past then, both useful for anyone, even more so for someone like her.

He chuckled to himself. _I must be resigned to some degree. I haven't missed everyone nearly as much as I thought I would. I can only hope that they're all doing well without me, though C.C.'s words still give me reason to think._ With that, he re-entered the room, nostalgia brewing in his heart.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

And now he stood by the sidelines of the exhibition stage, awaiting his turn to perform. He made sure that his image would be favorable, however, he didn't care much for the outcome. He knew they were already in the princess's good graces and that much was enough. To him, they had the grandest prize if not the competition's reward too.

Louise's foot tapped a nervous rhythm with the grass they stood on. "Dammit Lelouch, I still don't know exactly what you're going to do about this performance of yours. What kind of music are you even going to play in that getup?"

"Well since we're here, I'll show you what it is." From under a cape he bought off of Guiche — the same from their expedition along with the mask he now wore — he pulled out his weapon of choice. "It's inspired by a traditional instrument a family friend had shown to me a long time ago. It has some modifications, of course."

"You're going to play on a flute?" Louise seemed dissatisfied with the instrument. "We should've just gone with the display of swordsmanship."

He tried to reassure her with a calm smile. "I'll be the first to admit that it's not the most impressive tool to look at, but worry not Louise, it will suffice."

The air show happening above her appeared to distract her instead. "Do you really think you can beat her?"

"Why? Nervous? I'll be the one performing after all."

"How could you not be with _that_ happening in front of you?"

He watched as Tabitha's dragon performed another loop. "Sylpheed may be impressive from a student's standpoint, and at a rather young age too, but I hear that such dragons are more common at the court. What I have, no one else here does."

"Right, a pale wooden stick with holes all over it."

His ears caught the call for his turn to act. "It appears to be my turn."

"You'd better not fail! Do you hear me, Lelouch? Don't mess this up!"

Glad that he wasn't standing right next to her anymore, the man once known as Zero made his way up the stairs to the stage. It was showtime and he was loath to disappoint.

With a steady pace, he moved center stage and knew all eyes were on him. He stood still, eyes closed, not even turning to face them. His audience inevitably began to murmur.

"Everyone!" With a flourish, he spun to survey them, his hand pointed to the heavens as his cape hung in the air, startling the crowd into silence. "I," he said, pausing for a moment, "am the Familiar of Zero!"

A few of the students snickered and he was sure he heard Louise groan, but the rest remained quiet, waiting for him to make his next move.

"As the familiar of Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, I thought tirelessly about our encounter here today." At that, he held out the flute for all to see. It's unimpressive form, as some confused stares verified, would work to his advantage in short time. "This flute, a mimicry of one from a far off land, exotic and unique, is what I will play for you today."

Their attention seized, he closed his eyes and focused. He felt the runes glow, took a deep breath, and played. A multitude of colors spewed forth from his lips and his mind began to wander.

The shakuhachi, a flute first used by a group of monks for meditation, only to later double as wooden maces for combat as more swordless ronin joined them. He had seen examples across Japan from traditional ensembles and relics in Tokyo to confiscated and clandestine weapons elsewhere, the latter aspect most significant to him now.

As was with his Geass, extensive testing was necessary. Any blade of war he held activated his abilities without fail. His theory that other weapons could qualify, guns in particular, proved true too. These observations and the contest gave rise to a few questions.

Was there an upper limit to how complicated the subject could be and did extra features fall under the same?

To test his theory he paid a number of craftsmen to make a variety of flutes. One was to make a flute into a mace, another with the inverse, so on and so forth until he had a multitude of similar items. None, however, let him play the flute as well as the one he held in his hands, made with the specific intent of being a weapon disguised. It was a shame shoddy or improvised weapons also lacked the proper requirements, if only for convenience.

While far from an actual shakuhachi, the idea remained the same. As an afterthought, a gun was far more complex than a sword or a flute. He'd have loved to get his hands on a Knightmare Frame, but that was wishful thinking at best, lest one was summoned out of thin air.

As the tune settled down, the crowd was still. He took a deep bow, but the people in from of him were as quiet as Tabitha herself. He looked up to them and saw that some seemed unsure of what they heard while others had their eyes closed for some time.

There was eventually applause nonetheless. He grinned and stepped off the stage. Louise's eyes were glued to him and she said in a near whisper, "What did you just play? It was… haunting."

"Nonsense. It's but a decent mimicry of a tune I'd heard from a place I visited in my world."

Louise scrunched her eyebrows but didn't argue. "And who taught you?"

He snorted like he possessed all the confidence in the world. "Experience, trial, error, and the like."

They then sat in their seats and awaited the award to be announced. After some deliberation, the bald Professor Colbert moved up to the center stage with the announcement.

"And the winner of this year's familiar exhibition is…" He fumbled the paper open and announced, "Tabitha he Snowy Wind and her familiar, Sylpheed!"

Cheers rang out as the short bookworm made her way up and Louise seemed defeated, but he was sure she wouldn't take it too hard. He hadn't embarrassed her after all and he thought he made a good impression as promised.

Regardless of the all, Lelouch looked on with approval. _Henrietta. Though Louise is one of her true friends, possibly the only and best if I'm certain, she's not blindly biased in her favor. An admirable restraint she has, something even I must admit I cannot hold true to. That coupled with the fact that she's envious of even Louise's status as a duke's daughter speaks volumes._

The girl in question was on the wooden platform, crowning blue hair with bright gold. She had apparently asked for an encore as Tabitha and her dragon took flight once again, soaring in tight maneuvers. It was graceful and fearsome, to him at least.

"Wait, where is she going? Leaving that way wasn't a part of her routine."

Kirche's concern, with that of the rest of her peers, triggered an old instinct in Lelouch, one that told him that something was wrong. The demon's eyes followed the blue blur in the sky and traced a line to the other side of the Academy. Sensing an opportunity, the gears in his head whirred to life.

"Sir Gramont! Have you practiced what I taught you?"

The flamboyant boy was still lamenting over how the judges had glossed him over when his head snapped up. "Huh? Now? But it barely worked the last time!"

"It'll have to do." He swung to the Vallière. "Louise!"

"Y-yes?" His commander's tone made her stand up straight and stiff.

"It's time to welcome our new guest."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Another crash between her golem's fist and the inner tower of the academy sent shockwaves into the air, her attack leaving no mark on the wall, much less on the vault inside.

"Damn. I thought this would do the trick." She cursed silently again when she saw a dragon soar by her perch and surveyed the area around her. She clicked her tongue when she saw three figures approaching. While she knew the others would be preoccupied with protecting the royal brat, there would always be outliers.

She saw that they were piggybacking on some bronze constructs, but the way the moved was bizarre. They were too fast and their legs remained in a firm crouch, kicking up dirt behind them as they advanced.

The pink one was panicked. Good. "Guiche, this is crazy! What the hell did you do to your valkyries?!"

The blonde fool was uncoordinated and confused. "Your familiar had me attach something called 'landspinners' to them. And don't hold onto me like that!" Pathetic.

And land spinners? The phrase was unfamiliar, but that pointed her thoughts to the one she was most concerned about. Leading them was Lelouch Lamperouge, cape discarded to the wind but still keeping the flimsy mask on his face.

Although her heists usually went without a trace, she'd have to make an exception this time. "Golem, crush them!"

At her command, the hulking behemoth of dirt reached down with a ball of earth, smashing the ground between the now split up group.

 _Dammit. They're more agile than I thought too. And on a grassy plain? The blonde's just a dot mage. I'll have to figure out just what they're using to achieve that._

Peering down, she could see their measly attacks did little to the regenerating legs of her construct. As she was about to issue another command, an explosion too close for comfort deafened her ears.

"Good, ready another one, we'll keep her distracted!"

"Curse those pesky kids," she spat. Following her nose, she was startled to see a massive chunk of her golem's shoulder gone. The smoke had cleared and yet it still needed time to refill magic into its gravel.

 _Impossible, my golem is at least as sturdy as the Academy itself. How did she…!_ And an idea popped into her head. Hearing the shouts below, so did a chance.

"Lelouch, I can't control them anymore!" The blonde's panic allowed her to send him tumbling to the ground with a wide swing of the arms, sending both boys tumbling. Hand open, she seized the one in black and raised him against the tower.

"Louise, wait!" he shouted, but it was too late. The little mage's next volley, more powerful than the last judging by her incantation time, ripped through the air and into blue brick and tan earth. The hand she held him in crumbled — he was saved by the blue dragon rider too, for better or worse — but her main objective was within her reach and there was no time to lose.

She directed the undamaged arm to barrel through the weakened wall. Stepping into the vault, she quickly spotted what she had come for and left a note in its place as always.

"Your treasure has been safely transferred into the hands of Fouquet."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Louise sobbed. Lelouch knew as well as she did that it was unsightly, but she couldn't help herself, not even in front of Her Highness. Her sleeves did little to stem the flow of liquid salt

Her friend had tried consoling her but to no avail. "It's alright Louise. There's nothing you could have done about it."

"But there was!" she said with tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, "I even-"

"I must contradict you, Princess Henrietta."

Louise's eyes looked to Lelouch, confused as ever at his odd remarks. He planted himself in front of her and she stood up to meet him.

"Louise here could have done something about it, could have resolved the whole issue, in fact, but failed you. Her sorrow is justified and her actions deserve recognition." He leaned in slightly and spoke like he would tell a secret. "It's no good to have doubts, unless you believe in failure. Have more confidence in your friends, and in yourself too," and most quietly, "Henrietta."

The heiress of Tristain jumped back and a knight behind her laid a hand on the grip of her sword. "What did you just say to her highness? I'll have your head for harassing her."

"Lelouch, what do you think you're doing? You can't just whisper in the Princess's ear like that!" Anger was the best medicine to revive Louise's mood, or so Lelouch had learned over time, much like a certain redheaded knight he knew long ago.

"No, Anges, Louise, it's quite alright. Though odd, I know that Mr. Familiar here means well." Despite her words, the Royal shifted her sight, checking the reactions of those around her. When they didn't object, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her gestures where subtle, as expected of a keen noble, but Lelouch was sure of what he saw. "I must return to the palace immediately to make a report on all that has happened here. Take care, Louise, and you too."

She was nervous.

Seeing her run, the Henrietta now was a far cry from the one last night, the weight of cape and crown pulling her down in a rather familiar way, but far smaller in scope. While he knew that she lacked siblings on her back — though has an ill mother named Marianne of all things — and the people of her country actually loved her, that didn't mean that others refrained from grabbing for power or even the throne. She was gracious and kind, but hopefully prudent and practical as well.

His greatest observation, however, was that she was tired of it all, court, crown, and concealment.

"Louise, it's time to go. You can cry your eyes out further in your room if you wish."

"Shut up." More pouting, but no more crying, so he assumed that all would be well. He hoped the situation would turn around the same, possibilities floating through his head.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

 **Author's Notes:**

Hello there again, Verrill here. Did you expect to see me so soon?

I remember the princess as being a sad figure throughout the series. Though I don't know much about what happens to her in season four, I do remember her trauma conga line in the seasons prior. First her dad, then kinda her mom, then Wales-sama, etc. Also action-wise I didn't see much of her either, a waste of potential, but it _was_ Louise and Saito's story after all.

Of course, now I'm here.

And short author's note here today, but it's the content that counts, right? Also, I'm doing less rereading and canon-line-taking from the show to speed things up.

And so, as always, _please_ support the official releases — new and old — review my work as you see fit, be welcome to ask what you wish, and thank you all for your time.

Otherwise, take care~


	6. Stage Six: The Stolen Staff

The Familiar of Zero was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and published by Media Factory.

Code Geass was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and created by Sunrise.

I own neither, will not profit by these works, and will abide by the rules set before me, copyright held by them. I own only the creative bending of these worlds into a new project in an exercise of the imagination.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Zero Over Zero

Stage Six

The Stolen Staff

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

" _You should know your enemy. It is not people, but Britannia itself. It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent. Take up your sword. Fight for justice!"_

 _-Zero_

 _So help me, Shirley, you'll die a thousand deaths for this. If I didn't have to play teacher for my mission I'd-_

 _-Villetta Nu, Physical Education Teacher at Ashford Academy_

" _I used to be a school teacher, so I was feeling a little nostalgic…"_

 _-Kaname Ohgi, Deputy Commander of the Black Knights_

" _You're lying, aren't you? Lelouch… There's only one way to redeem yourself for those lies. You should make those lies into the truth. You told the lie that you were a knight of justice. So try and become a true knight of justice. Keep the lie going… to the very end."_

 _-Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of the Round of the Royal Army of Britannia_

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

For Tabitha, there was little in the world that intrigued her, at least not in recent memory.

At the helm of their cart was Miss Longueville, guiding the volunteer group on the hunt for a thief. To her left was her best friend, a person who was honest in her own right, if a bit selfish. The same could be said of the petite girl to her right, honest and selfish, but had no wish to make friends who wouldn't support her. Much the opposite, in fact, making enemies of all who spoke unwell of her and thusly making the ice mage the only thing standing in the way between peace and certain chaos.

In all honesty, though, she cared little for the Academy's lost object, but her friend had raised a wand to challenge her rival and Tabitha would be the last to leave Kirche without help against a rogue mage. No, what gave this ride any actual interest was the unlikely pair opposite to her.

In front of Tabitha was Guiche to her left and Lelouch to her right, conversing over a leg and wheel of bronze.

"I see the issue here. You didn't reduce the density like I had told you to. If it's too heavy, the wheels will start to dig into the soft dirt and grass."

"But Lelouch, making changes like that on such short notice is easier said than done."

"In that case, the wheel's torque and power need to be revised instead. You'll need more practice."

Of all the people to take under his wing, her last guess would have been the youngest of the Gramonts, for although he hailed from the most renowned of military families in Tristain, he had inherited many of the less desirable traits in their line. Guiche was at worst pompous, cowardly, and dishonest. Between him and herself there was no animosity, but neither so much as a single spoken word.

She would never have spared him so much as a glance — certainly not in the way the other girls do — but at the moment every sentence spoken between the two boys was digested in a way not unlike how she would to the pieces of a book.

Well, most of them anyway.

"Ah, what luck! All this lecture and risk, and for what? I had to miss a date for this."

Lelouch, absent of his usual flamboyance, asked, "Which girl was it?"

Guiche tightened his lips. "It's Monmon's."

Kirche, as was usual, poked fun at the first opportunity. "It can't be helped. You faced Fouquet. It's only natural that you come along as well and raise the fourth wand to the cause."

Tabitha was about to tune out the chatter when Louise brought up another point.

"Why would a mage like Fouquet resort to thievery anyway? Shouldn't she be a member of the nobility?"

Naive, but she wouldn't correct her.

"I assume she's a fallen noble." Lelouch straightened himself and continued, "I overheard that her skill with magic was nothing to laugh about, so she must have had an ample education at some point."

Guiche put a hand on his chin. "That doesn't completely make sense to me. An earth mage of her caliber would have plenty of options outside of stealing for a living."

"Then there must be another motive. Something personal."

"And what makes you say that?"

Heads turned to Miss Longueville.

And Lelouch crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, a habit of his. "Why, it could be a number of things. It's not hard to imagine a need for fortune and fame, or perhaps something darker, like a personal vendetta or rebel cause of some sort."

His master crossed her arms. "It's still wrong."

"Yes, but what is wrong and what is wanted are often the same, Lousie." He picked up the bronze construct. "By the way, Guiche, make a hollow pair of these, will you?"

Tabitha tossed those words in her head for a moment and agreed silently. She personally knew the meaning and, with the way he said it, she almost assumed he was the same, begging the question of who he truly was. Tabitha always had her reservations about what he did before being summoned by Louise, but she understood why he might hide his past. To keep others in the dark often made things less complicated, retained a sense of normalcy so to speak.

That, however, didn't change the fact that it was a dishonest practice too.

Miss Longueville picked up on his words as well. "You sound rather familiar with these issues, Lelouch. Do you mind telling us why?"

"Indeed, darling, do tell."

"I suppose it can't be helped. Louise knows. She can explain."

"Eh? Why me?"

"And stop the carriage for a moment, please. Guiche, with me."

"Don't just ignore me!"

Confused, the Gramont followed the familiar off to the side and Tabitha's eyes met the other mage's. She noticed everyone's stares a moment later and made a little squeak.

Louise relented. "Oh, fine, I'll tell you. Apparently, he comes from a world with no magic — though he doesn't have any proof of it — and that he was a fallen noble as well." She inhaled and blurted, "But it wasn't his fault though! His father used him as a political tool and he got lost with his sister in a war."

"And I didn't want anything to do with them since," said the man in question, boarding the carriage. "Onward, Miss Longueville, and thank you all for waiting. A wonderful summary Louise. Good job."

Louise fidgeted until Kirche opened her mouth. "Not that I'm one to care much for Guiche, but where is he?"

"There."

The other two girls looked to where Tabitha already was. Behind them was the earth mage, stumbling about as if he were walking on ice.

"Lelouch! Lelouch, hold the carriage, at this rate I'm going to fall!"

"Don't mind him." Leaning out of the carriage, he shouted back, "Keep your feet straight, knees bent, and lean forward. You want to get stronger, don't you? Focus!"

At this Guiche straightened out. Wobbly, but better than she expected, something she found herself wondering more often these past few days.

"If I had to say, those odd contraptions on his legs are proof enough."

Kirche leaned in towards Lelouch. "Well if our school's secretary says so, then I'll believe it." Her friend was about to get up when Louise hopped into the spot left open by Guiche. She looked at her friend and saw her lower lip curl into a frown.

"As diligent as ever I see, Louise." Lelouch then faced front. "Would you like to say anything, Tabitha?"

She looked up for the second time on their ride to see Lelouch staring at her. She read little from his face, a genuine face or a perfect mask she couldn't tell.

"Oh, you know Tabitha rarely says anything. I haven't ever heard her say more than a few words at a time."

"Is that so? Then I apologize for putting you on the spot there." Overly polite, though being overt seemed to be his fashion. "That reminds me, Miss Longueville." He turned to the person in question. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're a fallen noble as well, aren't you?"

Louise took immediate offense for her. "Don't mean to be rude? How could that not possibly be rude!?"

"It's fine, I don't take much offense to it. It's not as if it's a secret, but rather nobody bothered to ask me about it."

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Miss Longueville, or rather, Fouquet thought otherwise.

 _What is that familiar on about? Does he know something?_ It was too late to wonder, however, as they soon approached their destination.

The group disembarked and hid in between the trees and shrubbery near a lone cabin situated in a large clearing.

Settling into their hiding spot, the familiar quickly pointed out, "A trap, and an obvious one at that." He moved from his view and huddled in with the rest of them. "So, Fouquet is known to work alone, is that correct?"

"That's right," said the thief, "I'll search the perimeter while you kids see to the house itself."

"Alright then. Tabitha, Kirche, and I will go out while Louise, Guiche, and his valkyries will help secure the perimeter."

She couldn't fathom why they let the commoner dictate directions, but she wouldn't complain. From what she knew through the reports of Old Osmond, the kid had made friends with each of them on various occasions. First, his failure of a master, then a playboy that wasn't that much better, later a foreign fire mage, and last her talented and icy friend, a group of people as different as could be that wouldn't usually ever think of coming together.

They didn't even have much of a cause to fight for, but perhaps that's why they were stuck with each other for so long, aimless fledglings with only the guidance of school to fill their bellies with pride.

Moving on a safe distance away from the group, she watched as the children approached the house with caution. She awaited their find and, once the Left Hand of God found the Staff of Destruction, she'd finally know how the damned thing worked.

It didn't take them much time. Once she saw the familiar retrieve the staff — already out of its case too and quite daring for a commoner if she had to say — Fouquet lifted her hood over her head and triggered the construction of her signature golem. Masses of dirt swirled about as if it were of liquid and rose higher and higher above the trees nearby. "Go! Attack them, my golem!"

On her command, the small mountain advanced forward and she waited and watched for an opportunity. The children panicked, but they managed to stay coordinated. Even the Gramont was able to muster up some organization in the small amount of time he had. What she was truly waiting for, however, was the staff and the one holding it took the first chance he had.

"Everyone, get out of the way! Stay to the sides!" If that was his loudest, then it wasn't that impressive. Her Golem was to aggravate the boy and his master and so reached out to him with its lumbering arms.

Then it happened.

An explosion like never before shook the earth and the air with a fireball that swallowed her golem whole. It would've most certainly taken a square class fire mage to recreate such an effect. She covered her face but smiled. She knew how to use the Staff now and all she had to do was obtain it.

After their cheers and awe died down, Louise was the first to point out, "Where's Miss Longueville?"

And the familiar responded. "Stay together and search the perimeter! I'll take the front and search for her there. Be wary of the rear. I'll play my flute as the signal that I've found something."

Fouquet went out to meet the boy, foolish enough to move on his own, though she'd also have plenty of confidence with such a weapon in her hands.

She made sure that he was able to catch her in his view, faking a limp from behind a tree, wrapping one arm around her waist, clutching it in false pain.

"L-Lelouch. Help… me…"

"Miss Longueville!" The boy ran over, planting his sword in the ground and setting her target to the side, right by her arms.

With a sweep of her legs, she had him on the ground, scooping up the green tube. Not wasting a moment, she armed herself and pressed the switch.

And nothing happened.

"Wha-" And before she could even get a word out, the wind was knocked out of her. Her vision was flashing, her chest heaving, but she could still make out his figure approaching her, holding his instrument like a makeshift club.

He raised it.

"Hmph."

And brought it down, darkness welcoming Matilda with open arms.

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

"I've been waiting for someone like you, Miss Longueville."

"You…!" Matilda shot up at the sound of that voice, rewarded by lancing pains throughout her body, falling back into the sheets. Seeing the stained glass windows, she knew that this was the infirmary.

"You shouldn't try to move so much. I wouldn't want you to feel too uncomfortable."

"Says the one who put me in here." She checked herself once over and felt her legs and right arm bound, broken. "What do you want from me?"

"Straight to the point, are we? Your injuries were but a necessary precaution and I assure you that you'll make a full recovery in a short time." The damn familiar carried over a tray with a set of tea and her eyeglasses to the side. "Milk? Honey? I'm not certain how you like your tea." He poured a cup. "Personally, I prefer bitter."

"I don't want your tea."

He stared for a moment. "Bitter it is then." And filled the next cup. He placed his flute near his chair. "Would you like me to play a song for you?"

"Enough with the mockery! What. Do. You. Want?" In spite of her venom, she knew what position she was in. If she wasn't dead, then she was somehow useful to the boy.

He took a sip. "Allow me to reiterate. I've been waiting for someone like you, someone that can help me expand the scope of my operations."

"And what makes you think I'll work for you, a noble's guard dog?"

"You're mistaken, Fouquet, and that's not what I want." More tea. "Or do you prefer Matilda?"

"I don't care." Her blood still boiled from being put into this state, but time helped her clear her mind. "If you're done playing around, can we get to the point already?"

 _Another_ sip. "I want you to work with me, Matilda Longueville." He set down his cup with a click. "Whoever sent you obviously doesn't know what they're doing. Your talents are wasted."

Longueville looked at him as if he was mad. "Working for someone? I told you to stop playing with me. How would you even know such a thing?"

"Simple, really." His face remained calm, but she could imagine a smug smile on this bastard's face. She almost wished he had one so she could wipe it off of him. With the floor. If she could.

"A renowned thief in multiple countries stakes out Tristain's grandest academy all for only a little-known weapon of significant power. Either you've got a massive ego that thirsts to pull off outrageous stunts for no good reason or someone sent you. Both perhaps."

She wanted to punch him, even if it might cost her other arm.

"I imagine that someone had ordered you to steal the Staff of Destruction or that you stole it with a potential client in mind. There are few who want such an obscure thing and the high amount of risk and investment isn't worth any amount of coin, not to me anyway." He moved to refill his cup. "Unless you really are that foolish."

Matilda had enough of his questions, now wary of her opponent and his methods. "Do you think making me angry will get you what you want?"

"To a degree, it already has."

With a swipe of her arm, the remaining tea found its way to the floor, seeping into the wooden boards and filling the room with the fragrant odor of the drink.

"Tsk tsk, that's no good Miss Longueville." Moving to pick up the fallen teaware, he added, "We wouldn't want to have another accident, do we?"

She didn't miss the threat. "You're bluffing."

"Would you like to leave things to chance then?"

She was being cornered, but she still didn't want to accept it. Life took precedence over pride, however, and she didn't have the luxury of doubt. She couldn't let it end here, not by a longshot. She'd have to be more careful next time if there was one.

With a blunted edge, she asked again, "What is it that you want from me?"

He set the fallen objects where he had first picked them up. "I want you to work with me. I want to know why you fight. For your own needs or for the needs of others, for revenge or for justice?"

She scoffed. "And what do you know of justice?"

"Oh, I know plenty. But rather than telling you, I'd rather show you, as an olive branch of sorts." He made a new cup where he stood and walked over. "I'd like to invite you to the city once your injuries have healed, a day or two from now, thank your medical magic. The cover will be a vacation for the valiant but unlucky Miss Longueville, all expenses covered by Miss Valièrre's assets of course. In actuality, we've been entrusted with a secret mission to find corruption in the city. The princess of this country certainly is an odd one, but to be honest, I prefer it that way."

Fouquet hesitated for a moment but chose to pursue more doubt. "Corruption of what? Merchants lining their pockets? Rats who must steal for a living?"

"No, Matilda," he answered, almost interrupting her, and sat by the bed once more, setting down a new cup in front of her. "The corruption of power, of those not worthy of the nobility handed to them with a silver spoon, whether by birth or coin."

She looked down at her cup and saw its color was a milky light brown, steam no longer rising from the surface.

"Why go through all the trouble with this? With me? Why tell me anything at all? Once I recover, I could simply kill you in your sleep and run, so what makes you think any of this will work?"

He contemplated her question, taking a deep breath in deep thought. "No mask is perfect, Miss Longueville. It goes without saying that you're alive because of me and, though I've taken similar risks before, I would never take them back. I can't help but contemplate that you'd prefer to have some more direction in your life, much as they did at the time. I promise that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by at least following me in the coming days. I'd also imagine that you wouldn't want to be a thief for the rest of your days, so do please think of the long term."

A faint yelling could be heard outside. "Hey, whatcha all doin'? Here to visit the sleeping beauty? Too bad, her prince already woke her up!"

It was that damn sword.

"That damn sword. I told him to stall them, not say anything stupid." Lelouch rose from his chair and went to the door. "Consider it, Matilda. I'll be visiting in the meantime."

With that, he made for the door. For a moment, she stared at her cup. In the next, she gulped the whole thing down in a rather unladylike fashion and plopped into the bed once more. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gaggle of concerned people, all clamoring to see if she was okay. If she were someone else she might've appreciated it too, but there were too many things going through her head and it would take quite some time for it to settle. One thought, however, sprung up to the forefront of her mind.

 _This is going to take some getting used to._

 **·◊◊◊◊◊◊◊O÷O◊◊◊◊◊◊◊·**

Hello, Verrill again, and thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it greatly, truly.

Matilda, Matilda, another underutilized character, at least in the anime in my opinion.

For me, nothing makes a person more interesting than the motives they have, what drives them to do what they do.

Lelouch would be far less sympathetic without Nunnally, Kallen without her dreams and desires, Jeremiah without his EVERLASTING LOYALTY, and so on.

The villains though, _oh_ the antagonists! When the motivations are compelling or interesting enough, then a villain has my attention. Anyone can do the goodies or the evulz, but what's more interesting is _why_ they do it.

With regards to this, Matilda is someone I want to take liberties with to have her more involved in the story. Who she is and why she fights could have been so much more in the show — more intrigue, more compelling pizazz — but I suppose it was never to be with the nature of the anime and whatnot, the main focus being Saito and Louise.

And so, without further ado, _please_ support the official releases — new and old — review my work as you see fit, be welcome to ask any questions you wish, and thank you all again for your time.

Otherwise, take care~


End file.
